First to Walk the Stage: The Inspiring Stories of UG’s First-Generation Graduates

For some families, a university graduation is a moment they have imagined for years but never quite seen. There are no familiar graduation photographs on the walls, no older sibling to explain what to expect, and no family experience to draw on when the journey becomes difficult. Then, one day, someone makes it through. A son, a daughter, a mother, a younger sibling becomes the first to walk across a university graduation stage, carrying with them the hopes, sacrifices and unfinished dreams of those who came before.

For several members of the University of Guyana’s (UG) Class of 2026, that moment represents far more than the completion of a degree. They are the first in their families to attain a university education, breaking new ground for their relatives and showing younger generations that higher education is within reach, regardless of where they begin.

Their journeys started in different places: farming communities, Indigenous villages, small riverain settlements and working-class neighbourhoods. Some grew up watching their parents struggle to provide, while others had to navigate university without a family member who understood the experience. Yet, despite the different circumstances, they shared a determination to achieve something their families had never experienced before.

Vanisha Ramnauth-Pegues will graduate with a Bachelor of Education (English)

Vanisha Ramnauth-Pegues proudly describes herself as “Nevisian by birth, and Guyanese by heart!” She returned to Guyana with a renewed sense of purpose after becoming a mother. Wanting a better future for her son, she pursued teacher training and eventually continued her studies at UG. She will graduate with distinction from the University of Guyana’s Berbice Campus with a Bachelor of Education in English offered by the Faculty of Education and Humanities.

Her achievement is particularly meaningful: she is the youngest of her siblings and the first in her family to complete a degree. Her father helped to finance her first semester, while her mother cared for her son, allowing her to concentrate on her studies. Having already earned recognition as the Best Overall Graduate in English at the Cyril Potter College of Education, Ramnauth-Pegues continued to build on that foundation while balancing motherhood, teaching and university life.

Zhane David will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Education (Mathematics)

Creating a better future for her children was also central to Zhane David’s journey. A mathematics teacher and mother of two, David will graduate from the University of Guyana with a Bachelor of Science in Education (Mathematics) from the Faculty of Education and Humanities, becoming the first in her family to earn a university degree.

Her journey to university was postponed twice. She first put her studies at the Cyril Potter College of Education on hold when she became pregnant with her first child. Later, when she became pregnant with her son, she had to delay starting university. When she eventually began her degree, she had to balance her teaching responsibilities, caring for her children and attending online classes that often ran late into the evening. “I was tired,” she recalled. “It was trying to battle with all of that.”

Managing her children’s needs alongside her studies sometimes became overwhelming. Although there were moments when she considered giving up, her determination to finish what she had started kept her going. “I wanted to finish,”she said. “I knew I had to finish it because I started it.”

For David, graduating is also about the example she is setting for her children and the pride her mother will share on the day.

Teesha Ellis will graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education

The same desire to create a different future for the next generation drove Teesha Ellis of Toka, a small community in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo). The 32-year-old mother of three had already completed her studies at the Cyril Potter College of Education and spent more than two years teaching before deciding to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education offered by the Faculty of Education and Humanities.

The second of seven children whose parents depended on farming to support the household, she understood the value of perseverance, and she is now the first in her family to earn a degree. Studying from the Rupununi meant contending with unreliable internet, and her university journey became even more demanding when she became pregnant. She continued through morning sickness, coursework and childbirth, determined to complete what she had started.

When she told her father she wanted to attend UG, he asked whether she was sure she would make it through. Her response was firm: “I know I’m going to make it through.”Now that she has, she shares a message with young people back home: “Don’t let being way down in the Rupununi, in the hinterland, stop you from going and getting your degree.”

Rachel Leacock will graduate with a Bachelor of Education in Primary Education (General)

Rachel Leacock, from Sand Hills in the Upper Berbice River, knows those challenges well. At 25, she will graduate with a Distinction in a Bachelor of Education (Primary Education), becoming the first in her family to complete university.

As the second-youngest of 12 children, she grew up in a community where limited resources sometimes led young people to question whether university was a realistic ambition. Rather than accept that perception, she wanted to demonstrate what was possible. “I wanted to challenge that mindset, not just through words, but through my actions,”Leacock said.

Poor internet, sleepless nights and even hospitalisation during her studies tested her resolve, but she remained focused on the example she hoped to set for Indigenous young people. Her mother will travel from Sand Hills to watch her graduate, making the occasion especially meaningful for the family.

Shenel Barnes will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Management

For Shenel Barnes of Haslington, East Coast Demerara, the motivation was deeply personal. Her father had repeatedly encouraged her to pursue higher education, but she initially chose to enter the working world instead. After his passing, she reconsidered that decision, determined to fulfil the wish he had always expressed for her.

She will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Management from the School of Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation (SEBI). As a full-time employee, pursuing her degree meant finding a way to manage the demands of work alongside her academic responsibilities. Having no immediate family experience of university to guide her, she had to navigate much of the process independently. Her mother, sister and aunt, however, remained important sources of encouragement, particularly when the demands of her studies became overwhelming.

Her achievement carries significance beyond the degree itself. As the first in her family to earn a university degree, she has opened a door that her younger siblings can now see themselves walking through. She hopes to build a career in procurement and pursue a master’s degree in Procurement Management in the coming years. “You may be the first, but you certainly don’t have to be the last,” she said.

Deochand Bridgemohan will graduate with a Bachelor of Education (Primary Education)

For Deochand Bridgemohan, the significance of earning a Bachelor of Education (Primary Education) is rooted in his position as the youngest of four children from Eccles, East Bank Demerara. His older siblings had all stopped at secondary school, making him the first in the family to advance to tertiary education. “Everybody would have reached secondary level, but I am the only one, as the last child in the family, who made it to tertiary education,”he explained.  

The loss of a sibling while he was completing a semester nearly derailed his studies. However, his family encouraged him to continue, while lecturers offered support by making arrangements for him to complete outstanding examinations and assignments. Having been urged to continue himself, he now offers other students the same encouragement. “Hold your focus. This is not the end of the road. Keep going,”he urged. 

Royston Fraser will graduate with a Bachelor of Education (Agricultural Science)

Similarly, Royston Fraser’s achievement represents a turning point for a family whose educational opportunities had previously been limited by financial hardship. Growing up as one of seven children, he watched his older siblings leave secondary school before completing their education.
Intent on breaking that pattern, the young man from Union, West Coast Berbice, balanced employment, personal responsibilities and university studies, eventually earning a Bachelor of Education (Agricultural Science) with distinction. “I never imagined that I would one day become the first in my family to graduate from university,” he said. “I entered university with a dream, but I am leaving with a legacy.”



Lateisha Williams will graduate with a Bachelor of Education (Secondary) in Business Studies

The support of family and colleagues was also important to Lateisha Williams, whose journey to earning a Bachelor of Education (Secondary) in Business Studies, with a distinction, involved balancing university studies, teaching and motherhood. 

A Business Studies teacher at Houston Secondary School, Williams became pregnant during her first year at UG and had to adjust to the demands of university while preparing for and embracing life as a first-time mother.

Despite the challenges, she remained committed to completing her degree and maintaining a strong academic record. Her mother was her greatest source of support, while colleagues offered guidance during her teaching practice. “I kept showing up, I kept learning, and I kept pushing because I was committed to upholding high academic standards in order to maintain a good GPA,” she said.

As the first in her family to earn a Bachelor’s degree, Williams also would like for her achievement to create opportunities for her daughter and inspire others who may be facing similar challenges.



Kathyanna Gomez will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Management

Kathyanna Gomez, from Grant Success in the Lower Pomeroon River, will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Management offered by the School of Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation (SEBI), becoming the first in her family to earn a university degree. Her journey was made possible through the sacrifices of her parents, who moved the family to Georgetown to give their children better educational opportunities.

Her path to graduation was not without setbacks. After failing mathematics at CSEC, she also failed the University’s mathematics entrance examination on her first attempt. Determined not to give up, she studied again and passed on her second attempt. “I refused to allow that setback to define my academic future,” she said.

Financial difficulties continued to weigh on her family until the introduction of free tuition at UG brought some relief. “I was so happy that I could ease the financial burden on my parents,” she said. 

Returning to the Pomeroon for her final two years presented another challenge, as unreliable internet access often forced her to leave home in search of a stronger connection to attend classes and complete examinations.

Despite these difficulties, Gomez remained focused on completing her degree. “I never allowed my circumstances to become an excuse to give up,” she said. 



Talesha Hudson will graduate with an Associate Degree in Applied Exploration Geology  

The drive to pursue higher education despite the limitations of living in a rural community is also reflected in the story of Talesha Hudson. At 27, Hudson, from the Pomeroon River, is preparing to graduate from the University of Guyana with an Associate Degree in Applied Exploration Geology offered by the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, becoming the first among her four siblings to earn a university degree.

Coming from a community where farming and gold mining are familiar livelihoods, Hudson initially expected to follow a similar path. However, she began considering the long-term opportunities a university education could provide, particularly the possibility of securing employment that would allow her to support her parents as they grow older.

One of her greatest challenges was travelling between the Pomeroon and Georgetown, with one-way transportation costing more than G$20,000. Finding suitable accommodation also proved difficult, while the loss of her grandmother and sister in February this year added to the personal challenges she faced during her studies. Through it all, she drew encouragement from her mother, brother and friends, and credits God for seeing her through.



Ryan Pearson will graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations

For Ryan Pearson, the dream of attending UG began during a Form Three school trip to a university career fair, when he told a friend that one day he would return. The 21-year-old, the third of five children of farmers from Kuru Kururu, on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, will now graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the Faculty of Social Sciences, becoming the first in his family to earn a university degree.

His family’s sacrifices carried him through school. His mother sold clothing, and later barbecue on weekends, to cover school fees and bus fares. “Sometimes, if we didn’t get enough money, we’d stay home because we couldn’t afford the bus fare,” he recalled. Despite those challenges and the disruption of COVID-19, he taught himself several science subjects and secured passes in eight of his CXC subjects.

Before tuition at UG became free, Ryan sought a scholarship to ease the financial burden on his parents. When his first attempts were unsuccessful, he refused to give up, and his persistence was eventually rewarded. Even the loss of his aunt to cancer in his third year, which nearly led him to leave university, did not stop him from reaching the finish line. “When life throws stones at you, you take those same stones and build bridges, and you climb higher,” he said.

The University of Guyana congratulates these graduates and the entire Class of 2026, and looks forward to welcoming those who will follow in their footsteps. (Feature by the Department of Events, Conferences and Communication (DECC), University of Guyana)