The Berkeley Institute class of 2012 celebrated their graduation yesterday — but valedictorian Tashel Bean urged them to aim higher than being top dogs in Bermuda.Ninety-nine students passed their courses, including 93 out of 106 S4 students and another six who spent the year in S3.The number of graduates achieving grade point averages of 2.0 or above throughout their four years increased from 76 percent last year to 89 percent this year.But Tashel, one of three graduates who earned triple honours and the first student to graduate with principal’s honours since the designation was introduced in 2010, said yesterday’s success should only be the beginning.“This is the time of our lives when we should be preparing for the future,” he told a packed Heritage Worship Centre.“In a few years, we will be the leaders of the world. Whether we stay in Bermuda or decide to move elsewhere, this is the time that we really should start to plan our lives.“Spending too much time on the rock of Bermuda, as beautiful as it is, can be bad for a person.“The 24 square miles of the Island make us believe that our football trophies, or our ballet recital certificates, or our honours awards, are the highest possible achievement to strive for.“We become complacent in the simplicity of life in Bermuda. Our goals become small, and hunger for success dwindles.“I urge all of the graduates in the class of 2012 to never stop striving. I want every single one of you to remember that the world doesn’t revolve around us and that there is always more to do.“We should never settle because there doesn’t seem to be any hope for anything more. Please excuse me for being so harsh, but there are too many fools in the world and it would be such a shame for the talent and potential you see before you to become a part of that.”Tashel will now attend Savannah College of Art and Design to study film animation.The other two graduates earning triple honours were Kameron Burgess, who will pursue a science degree at Florida Institute of Technology, and Michelle Onyia, who will be studying mathematics at Mount St Vincent.Principal Michelle Simmons noted the increased percentage of students with grade point averages of 2.0 or above, and said: “This is to be celebrated. It proves that when you set standards for young people and then work with them in a focused way they will achieve the mark.”Ms Simmons said students had been promised a challenging four years when they began at Berkeley in September 2008.She continued: “Now that you have survived the challenge and are ready to make your mark in the world, I want to wish all of you well and to challenge you again.“Mary Prince, our latest National Hero recognised that if she wanted to see change in the cruel and dehumanising practice of slavery that she would have to risk her life to effect the change that she sought.“Graduates, your success means nothing unless you do something with it. Now it is time to challenge yourselves to reach even higher heights than you have achieved so far.“You can do it, if you believe in yourselves, commit to your plan and then work hard with passion to achieve your vision.”The majority of students will now go on to Bermuda College or overseas institutions such as Full Sail University, Acadia University, Kings University College and Universal Technical Institute.