Consul General to New York, Dr. Basil Bryan, congratulates Saleem Josephs at his graduation from Columbia University, recently. - CONTRIBUTED
NEW YORK:
JAMAICAN SALEEM Josephs rewrote the history book on academic excellence at the prestigious Columbia University in New York City, becoming the first student from that institution to graduate with three degrees in one sitting.
At the commencement exercise for the Columbia Univer-sity College of Dental Medi-cine in Manhattan last Thursday, Josephs, the eldest of three brothers enrolled at the school, was presented with his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree, the first of an unprecedented three titles, becoming the first student in the history of the venerable institution to be so decorated.
Josephs, a past student of Campion College, St. Andrew, also received graduate degrees in Business Administration (MBA) and Public Health (MPA) from the prestigious Ivy League university.
EXTRAORDINARY ACHIEVEMENT
Dr. Basil K. Bryan, Ja-maica's Consul General to New York, who attended the ceremony, praised Joseph for what he said was an extraordinary achievement.
"On behalf of the Government and people of Jamaica, I am honoured at the opportunity to extend congratulations to you on your extraordinary accomplishment, which I am sure will serve as an inspiration to your brothers and generations to come," Dr. Bryan said. "You have made our country proud."
Saleem's two brothers, Phillip and Elias, are also attending Columbia University College of Dental Medicine. The Josephses are from the parish of Clarendon.
In addition to his three degrees, Josephs topped the 84-member graduating class of 2006 in the areas of community health and prosthodontics and was cited by the National Dental Honour Society, Omicron Kappa Upsilon, for outstanding scholarship.
Speaker after speaker, including keynote speaker, Wole Soyinka of Nigeria, the 1986 Nobel Laureate in Literature, charged the graduates that they were part of an exclusive enterprise that requires professional excellence in duty and service at all times.
