Gbarnga, Bong County — Graduates of the Bong County University have been urged to use their education to help transform Liberia’s future.
By Franklin Doloquee
Delivering the keynote address during the institution’s fifth convocation ceremony on Saturday, July 18 on the university’s leafy Gbarnga Campus, University of Liberia President, Dr. Layli Maparyan, praised Bong County University’s decade-long role in expanding access to affordable and practical higher education across central Liberia.
Established in 2010, the university has grown into “a beacon of excellence, opportunity and hope,” she said, calling for stronger collaboration among Liberia’s higher-education institutions.
“Universities are partners, not competitors in national development,” Dr. Maparyan said, stressing when one Liberian university succeeds, Liberia succeeds.
Congratulating the class of 2026, Dr. Maparyan reminded graduates that commencement marks a beginning, not an end.
She challenged them to reflect on how they will use their knowledge.
“What will you do with what you have learned?” she asked, urging graduates to create opportunities rather than wait for them.
“The future begins with you.”
While stressing the importance of technical knowledge, Dr. Maparyan repeatedly urged graduates to pair ability with values.
“Knowledge must be guided by values. Intelligence must be accompanied by integrity,” she stated, warning that education without character can be misused and that a graduate’s truest credential will be their character.
Her address singled out groups within the graduating class and called on each to lead in their fields.
Educators were reminded that teaching shapes minds and unlocks student potential.
Health-care graduates were urged to preserve patient dignity and practice compassionate care.
Agricultural graduates received a call to strengthen food security and improve rural livelihoods.
Students in technology and the sciences were asked to help close the digital divide and drive innovation for local needs.
“Graduate for impact”
Dr. Maparyan encouraged the graduates to “graduate for impact,” measuring success by the lives improved through their work.
She argued that innovation is not exclusive to labs or boardrooms but accessible to teachers, farmers, nurses and entrepreneurs.
Every graduate, she said, should commit to solving at least one meaningful problem in their community.
“If one graduate dedicates his or her self to community-focused work, he or she can transform a family; one hundred and thirty-four(134) graduates can transform a community, thousands can transform a nation,” Dr. Maparyan stated, emphasizing the cumulative power of persistent effort and a single good idea pursued faithfully.
Acknowledging rapid technological change, climate threats and shifting labor markets, Dr. Maparyan urged continuous learning and humility.
“Never become too accomplished to listen,” she said, framing curiosity and lifelong learning as the foundation of lasting leadership.
She also applauded the resilience of Liberian students who pursue education despite obstacles, using a bamboo-tree metaphor to encourage graduates to “build deep roots” so that growth is sustained and transformative.
Her remarks were met with enthusiastic applause from family members, faculty and fellow students.
Dr. Maparyan paid tribute to the families, guardians and supporters whose sacrifices helped the graduates reach this milestone.
She also commended the university’s faculty and staff for shaping the students’ characters and lives, noting faculty dedication in classrooms, laboratories and community outreach projects across central Liberia.
Message to university leadership
The UL President commended the Bong County University’s Leadership including the institution’s president and board of trustees for expanding access to practical education in the region.
She told the university to continue producing graduates equipped with practical skills, ethical values and a spirit of community engagement.
Framing the graduating class as part of a generation tasked with rebuilding trust and valuing competence and integrity, Dr. Maparyan urged graduates to “go where hope is needed” and to “build lives” rather than only pursue personal success.
“History will write about the generation that chose to move the nation forward,” she said, adding “That generation is you.”
