New graduates of CedarBridge Academy were saluted yesterday as “a class of resilience” after persevering through the uncertainty of a pandemic to become the Class of 2022.

Kenneth Caesar, principal of the government senior school, hailed students and staff for coming through four years of learning, addressing graduates under this year’s theme of “Reflect, Refocus and Recalibrate”.

Sixty female and 76 male graduates were applauded by family and friends in the ceremony at Flora Duffy Stadium in Devonshire.

Among them, 115 graduated with the Bermuda School Diploma, 11 with the Alternative School Diploma, four with the Functional Skills Diploma, and three have completed the Penn Foster high school programme in the United States.

Mr Caesar commended J’Kai Berkeley, Joshua Viera and Aaron White as Bermuda College dual enrolment applied tech graduates, and singled out Jy-ier Barnett as a promising graduate now going to Bermuda College.

Mr Caesar named Zijae Jones and Catherine Douglas as female students headed to work placement thanks to pastor Leroy Bean, and credited head boy Judah Smith-Dyer’s 3.83 grade point average.

Penn Foster certificate holders Aikido O’Loughlin and Carlita Trott were praised, with head girl Glenice Simmons, for overcoming challenges at the school to graduate with a 3.92 GPA.

Mr Caesar told the gathering that they were testament to the “phenomenal” work of teachers as he paid tribute to retiring staff Rickey Watts, Patricia Nesbitt, Maria Hutson-Brathwaite, Melanie Burrows and Ralda Jones.

Jekon Edness, former Somerset Cup Match captain and a 2000 CedarBridge graduate, told graduating students to build their personal brand as they left the school

He said: “How will people buy into your brand?

“With time, with healthy conversations, with job opportunities and with assistance when you need it — with recommendations when you need it. They will speak highly of you when you’re not around.

“It’s up to you to determine what you want for yourself and your brand.”