46 University of Aruba students received their certificates for successful completion of the Academic Foundation Year program. They completed their first year in higher education, a year in which they worked on academic skills, language skills, study choice and personal development. This year 65 students started and 54 students completed the program. In addition to the 46 graduates, an additional 8 students received their grade transcripts to certify the courses that they followed within the program.
During the commencement ceremony, led by program administrator Kevin Richardson, students Stephany Lewis and Amanda Croes testified on the impact of the program on their personal development. They emphasized the growth that they experienced as participants in the program, not only a growth in knowledge and skills, but also a growth in confidence and determination in the choices that they are making.
Many program participants are initially still in an orientation phase, looking for a definitive study choice. Therefore, they are allowed and encouraged to follow modules offered by the faculty programs of the university as well as to take up apprenticeship positions and follow online courses. Half the of the students that successfully completed the Academic Foundation Year will continue their education at the UA in Aruba; the other half will continue their studies in the Netherlands, with the exception of those that either go to study in the US or have decided to start their working careers because they already have a starting qualification.
The University of Aruba is proud of the students’ success and is looking forward to the start of the fourth cohort of the Academic Foundation Year in August 2019.
