Spring Gardens, St James – In an inspirational speech during Tuesday’s graduation ceremony at Fairfield International Academy (FIA) in Montego Bay, award-winning actress Sheryl Lee Ralph stressed the importance of putting in the work, following your dreams, and the value of finding joy in life.

“A wonderful time was had by all,” she told the Jamaica Observer after the official ceremony ended and guests milled about the well-manicured grounds.

“Everybody, big up yuhself, higher education is the key!” Ralph said after a brief synopsis of how FIA came into being.

The privately owned academy prides itself on keeping class sizes at 15 students, maximum, and using a method of learning that combines local and international-based curricular.

“We try to make sure that the students that we send out into the world are equipped to deal with the global problems that we face,” said assistant principal for FIA’s High School Division Jody-Gay Cummings.

For graduates, such as Zari Robinson, it was a day of duelling emotions. She was eager to see what comes next but sad to leave the institution where she has spent most of her high school years.

“It was a very good journey,” Robinson told Observer West.

It was also a bittersweet graduation for Mya Hartman.

“I’m so grateful that FIA has been a part of my high school journey,” she said. “Although it may seem non-traditional to some, it is a school that really prepares us to be multi-faceted, contributing global citizens.”