Zaphir Barela, valedictorian
BELIZE CITY, Mon. June 16, 2025
Fifty-five young people embraced the future with hope and courage when Gwen Lizarraga High School held its 34th commencement exercises with the theme: “A time to reflect, a future to embrace”, at the Princess Hotel in Belize City on Saturday morning, June 14. They included 21 Science majors, 18 Business majors and 16 Technical majors.
“Strive to do your best in whatever career path you choose, and don’t back down from doing your duty as your job warrants,” Minister of State for Sports Hon. Devin Daly encouraged them in his keynote address, which was delivered ad lib. He emphasized the importance of treating others with dignity and respect, as he cited his recent experience of being pulled over by a young police officer and two Police Academy cadets at a routine traffic stop. “No one is above the law” he affirmed, as he explained why he chose not to pull rank on these inexperienced junior officers, who were striving to do their duty.
He encouraged them to build on the support of their peers and parents, and to embrace the help that others might offer in their path to success, as he acknowledged the many people who had helped him rise to become a minister of government. He thanked the basketball coaches who offered him the opportunity to play basketball for Lake Superior University, which paved the way for him to play professional basketball in Europe. He admitted that he had not even contemplated running for national office until last September, when party leaders encouraged him to try. At each step of the way, it was helping others, and they helping him in return, that helped him to rise.
“We’ve grown through every challenge. We’ve learned lessons inside and outside the classroom. And most of all, we’ve grown together,” affirmed top student Zaphir Barela in his valedictory address. He recalled their beginning their first two years of high school during the pandemic with online lessons only, and acknowledged that their strength had been in how they supported and helped each other to overcome mistakes and moments of doubt, to not give up and to bounce back
“Dream big, don’t be afraid to fail, don’t be afraid to be different,” he encouraged his peers, as he recognized that each would go their separate way, while some had forged lifelong friendships over the past four years. “We can make a difference. … one step at a time.”
Their time at Gwen Liz had been “a rollercoaster, full of laughter, development, obstacles and milestones,” Elizabeth Morrison said in her salutatory address. She embraced the strong values and sense of purpose she had learnt at Gwen Liz, assured that “the lessons, friendships and experiences” they had collected “will eventually connect to create something meaningful.” She welcomed the future in the firm belief that, “We are well prepared.”
The Class of 2025 had many accomplishments in which to take pride, as the varsity basketball team had won the Silver medal at the CODICADER Central American Junior Scholastic Games in El Salvador last September, and Gwen Liz boys had won the unprecedented triple crown of 3 national championships in basketball, football and softball! Principal Louis Mortis presented the Athletes of the Year awards to basketball and football star Premilie Hope and to all-round athlete Juavann Morgan who had excelled in all sports. He also acknowledged the teacher-coach who encouraged them to be all they could be, Keith Madrill, and Claudette Williams Noralez as Teachers of the Year.