Margibi County – Delivering a powerful and thought-provoking commencement address at the Schiefflin Educational Complex International High School, Rev. Dr. Q. Somah Paygai, Sr., challenged graduates to rise above ignorance, division, and fear, and to embrace a spirit of leadership, courage, and open-mindedness.
By Patience Jones
The first Commencement convention was held at the Compassionate Glorious Ministries International Inc. Schiefflin Avenue Community, RIA Highway, on Saturday October 4, 2025.
Speaking under the inspirational message “Tear down walls of ignorance and narrow-mindedness, for nothing has to stay as it is,” Dr. Paygai, President of Stone College of Technology and Associate Pastor of Lucia B. Paygai Baptist Church, called on graduates to lead with vision, compassion, and truth, emphasizing that transformation begins with the willingness to think beyond limitations.
“You are never too young or too old to lead,” he told the graduates. “The world needs your leadership now more than ever. Speak up, speak out, and get in good trouble for the sake of truth and progress.”
Dr. Paygai, a former Vice Presidential Candidate of Liberia and Chairman of the National Investment Commission, used the occasion to reflect on Liberia’s social and economic challenges, encouraging young people to become agents of change who will bridge gaps of ignorance and rebuild the nation on pillars of education, innovation, and justice.
He warned against misinformation and intolerance, describing them as threats to peace and development. “Facts and truth are matters of life and death,” he stressed. “Misinformation, disinformation, delusion, and deceit can kill. What stands between such forces and the destruction of our common purpose are people like you, courageous, educated, and compassionate.”
A Message Rooted in Personal Experience
In a touching personal reflection, Dr. Paygai shared a childhood story from his days in Bong Mine and Monrovia. He recalled how he and his siblings once faced a terrifying storm while playing outside. As thunder roared and rain beat against their zinc-roof house, his elder sister held the house down with her body, keeping the children together despite fear and chaos.
“We were children walking with the wind, but we never, ever left the house. The wind may blow, the thunder may roll, the lightning may flash, and the rain may beat down on an old house but we must hold our houses down. Whether it’s the house of Schiefflin, Monrovia, or Bong, we all live in the same house. We must hold it together,” he said.
A Call to Action for a New Generation
Dr. Paygai urged the graduates to embrace education as a tool for liberation and to use their knowledge to build a better Liberia one that promotes fairness, opportunity, and unity.
He applauded President Joseph Nyumah Boakai, Sr. for his leadership and shared a series of economic policy recommendations, including measures to promote entrepreneurship, encourage investment, and strengthen governance.
Dr. Paygai emphasized that national transformation requires both structural reform and personal commitment: “Tear down the walls not only those built by others, but also those we build in our minds. Nothing has to stay as it is.”
Dr. Paygai’s speech struck a profound chord with the graduates, faculty, and guests alike – reminding them that education is more than the pursuit of knowledge; it is the courage to transform the world, adding, “Walk with the wind,” he urged in closing. “Let the spirit of history be your guide.”
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