Education Minister Sharie de Castro has challenged graduates of Elmore Stoutt High School (ESHS) to define success not by the careers they pursue or the wealth they accumulate, but by the character they build and the legacy they leave behind.
Speaking to 181 members of the Class of 2026 during Thursday’s graduation ceremony at the Multi-Purpose Sports Complex, de Castro told graduates that while they were leaving school with diplomas, they were also inheriting the enduring values established by the school’s namesake, the late educator Elmore Stoutt.
Hon. de Castro told the graduates, “The greatest inheritances can never be placed in a bank account or written into a will,” she said. “They are carried in our character, in our values, in our actions.”
The Education Minister encouraged the graduates to embrace one of the former Principals and namesake of the high school Elmore Stoutt’s most memorable pieces of advice, “Can as much as you can, while you can,” explaining that the message was not simply about academic success but about maintaining a lifelong commitment to learning, growth and service.
She said the graduating class had already demonstrated what was possible through hard work and perseverance, noting that all 10 of the Virgin Islands’ top graduating students came from ESHS this year. Of the school’s 181 graduates, 134 earned honours or high honours, while more than 100 are leaving with college credits earned through the school’s partnership with H. Lavity Stoutt Community College.
Calling the results evidence of a culture of excellence, de Castro also praised the Territory’s public education system after every male student graduating from the Virgin Islands’ public high schools successfully completed their secondary education this year.
She reminded the graduates that commencement should not represent the pinnacle of their achievements. “Don’t allow graduation to become your greatest achievement. Please allow it only to become your foundation,” she urged.
73 per cent of the graduating class achieved honours or high honours
Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Hon. Natalio Wheatley also addressed the ceremony, describing education as the cornerstone of the Virgin Islands’ development and a key reason for the Territory’s progress over the decades. He reflected on a time when educational opportunities were limited and credited self-governance and visionary local leadership with expanding access to secondary education for all Virgin Islanders.
The Premier said Elmore Stoutt High School stands as proof of what the Territory has achieved through greater self-determination, while encouraging graduates to continue building on that legacy rather than taking it for granted. “Your government continues to invest in education,” he said, while commending the Ministry of Education for ensuring strong value from that investment..
The ceremony also recognised the school’s top academic performers. Tarina Kenya Kenessa Roberts was named Valedictorian of the Class of 2026, while Kaliq Teshawn Jennings received the Salutatorian honour.
Principal Vannessa Garraway noted that 73 per cent of the graduating class achieved honours or high honours and highlighted that 100 graduates had already earned college credits before leaving secondary school. “They are already ahead of the game,” Garraway said.
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The British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission (FSC) is warning the public to exercise extreme caution after discovering that a forged investment business licence is being circulated, falsely claiming that an individual identified as Michal Kubicki is authorised to conduct investment business in the Territory.
In a public statement, the FSC said neither Michal Kubicki nor any associated entity has ever been licensed or regulated by the Commission to carry on any type of financial services business in the Virgin Islands.
According to the FSC, the fraudulent document falsely represents that Kubicki has been granted an investment business licence authorising him to deal in investments as principal and arrange investment transactions as a regulated person under the Commission’s oversight.
The Commission stressed that the licence is forged and urged members of the public not to conduct any business with Michal Kubicki should they be approached for investment or other financial services.
“The public is advised to exercise extreme caution if solicited at any time and to avoid conducting any business with Michal Kubicki,” the FSC said.
The regulator is also encouraging anyone with information about questionable entities claiming to operate in or from within the Virgin Islands, or engaging in improper financial activities, to report the matter to the Commission.
The public statement was issued under Section 37A(4) of the Financial Services Commission Act, 2001, which empowers the FSC to alert the public where it considers it necessary to protect customers, creditors and other persons from potentially misleading or fraudulent activities.
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Students graduating from the Bregado Flax Educational Centre Secondary Division were challenged to embrace the future with confidence, remain true to their values and pursue their dreams with courage as they celebrated the successful completion of their secondary education on Tuesday.
The commencement ceremony, held at the Jeffrey Caines Arena in Virgin Gorda, honoured the achievements of the Class of 2026 as family, friends, teachers and government officials gathered to celebrate the milestone.
Delivering the keynote address, Minister for Education, Youth Affairs and Sports Hon. Sharie de Castro encouraged the graduates to resist the pressure to seek acceptance at the expense of their principles.
She told the students that their individuality is one of their greatest strengths and reminded them that the Virgin Islands continues to be shaped by people willing to make a difference.
“The picture of these Virgin Islands is still being created and there is something beautiful the world will never see unless you take your place,” the minister said, urging the graduates to move forward with excellence, integrity and courage.
Premier Dr the Hon. Natalio Wheatley also congratulated the graduating class, describing the occasion as the beginning of an exciting new chapter filled with opportunities to learn, grow and achieve.
He encouraged the graduates to approach the future with confidence, reminding them they had already demonstrated the resilience and determination needed to overcome challenges and pursue their goals.
Valedictorian honours were awarded to Leanfer Hernandez, while Kyle Alexander was recognised as the Class of 2026 salutatorian.
In all, 40 students graduated from the Secondary Division of Bregado Flax Educational Centre, closing one chapter of their educational journey while preparing to pursue higher education, vocational training and careers in the years ahead.
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Former Premier Andrew Fahie’s appeal against his US drug trafficking convictions has entered a new phase, with federal prosecutors urging the appellate court to reject his arguments, uphold his convictions and sentence, and deny requests for a retrial.
Court filings submitted this week in the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit reveal sharply opposing positions from Fahie’s defence team and federal prosecutors as the former Virgin Islands leader seeks to overturn his convictions.
In a written appeal filed on 23 June, defence attorney Benedict P. Kuehne argued that Fahie is entitled to have the charges dismissed, alleging what he described as egregious government misconduct and the use of false testimony during the prosecution.
Kuehne contended that the case was built almost entirely around the actions and recorded statements of a confidential informant who, he argued, had since been found unreliable by a foreign tribunal. According to the appeal, that finding undermines the credibility of the government’s case and resulted in substantial prejudice against Fahie.
The appeal also challenges the sufficiency of the evidence supporting Fahie’s conviction for conspiracy to import cocaine, arguing prosecutors failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he conspired to import a substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine.
In addition, the defence claims the jury did not reach a unanimous verdict and argues that the appellate court should either declare a mistrial or return the matter to the district court for an evidentiary hearing to determine whether the verdict was, in fact, unanimous.
Federal prosecutors have rejected those arguments.
In their response, filed on Monday, prosecutors asked the appellate court to affirm both Fahie’s convictions and his sentence. They also opposed the defence’s request for a new trial and urged the court to decide the appeal based solely on the written submissions without hearing oral arguments.
Under the court’s briefing schedule, Fahie’s legal team has until July 7 to file its reply to the government’s response, although it may seek an extension of that deadline.
Fahie was convicted in 2024 and sentenced to 11 years in federal prison after a jury found him guilty of conspiring to import cocaine into the United States and related offences.
The case stemmed from an undercover operation by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), in which a confidential informant posed as a drug trafficker seeking to use the Virgin Islands as a transshipment point for multi-million-dollar cocaine shipments.
Former BVI Ports Authority Managing Director Oleanvine Pickering-Maynard and her son, Kadeem Maynard, were also convicted in connection with the conspiracy.
