As graduands of the University of Guyana (UG) prepare to walk across the graduation stage, each carries a unique story of ups and downs, with some overcoming extreme difficulties to complete this leg of their academic journey.
As part of our ongoing series of student success stories, we feature below four graduands who overcame serious illnesses, the loss of loved ones and personal tragedy while pursuing their degrees.
Candisa Caesar, a 43-year-old Ward Sister at the New Amsterdam Regional Hospital, has lived with supraventricular tachycardia, a heart condition, since 2003. When she began her degree at UG’s Tain Campus, the attacks became more frequent and more severe.
Her decision to pursue a university education was inspired by her late mother. Caesar explained: “I started off the noble profession as a nursing assistant, and my mother always told me, ‘Candy, even though you started off as a nursing assistant, you don’t have to remain in that position all the time. Elevate yourself. Nursing has other programmes. Don’t stay in one place, keep moving up the ladder.'”
Seven months into her programme, her condition took her to the emergency room twice in two weeks, and she was admitted to hospital. Her family urged her to put a pause on her studies. “My family members, they love and care for me, and they were like, ‘Candy, we feel you’re pressuring yourself too much. You need to put a hold on this because you’re going to harm yourself.’ I listened to them, I smiled. Deep down in my heart, I know I’m not a quitter, and the Lord would not leave me and forsake me,” she recounted.
On April 3, 2025, she was admitted to hospital for a heart procedure scheduled for the next day. That same day, a message arrived in her class WhatsApp group about an assignment. “I had my laptop with me. I stayed up all night, and I tried to complete that assignment because I said, I am not going to fail this course, because my assignment wasn’t submitted. My goal was to complete all my courses, have no fail grade, and to come out with a distinction,” she said.
The next day, she underwent the procedure, which was successful, and she has not had another episode since.
Caesar described the moment she saw her results: “I was the happiest human being on the face of the earth at that moment. When I logged into my SRMS that day and I saw ‘Pass with Distinction’, oh my God. It was tears of joy.”
As she prepares to walk the graduation stage, her thoughts are with her mother, who died in 2019. “I wish my mama would have been here, sitting in that audience there, cheering me on, but I know wherever she is, she would be super proud.”
Twenty-four-year-old Latchme Devi Mohess of Leonora, West Coast Demerara, is graduating with distinction from the Faculty of Education and Humanities at UG’s Turkeyen Campus. She is the first person in her family to graduate from UG.
An Assistant Mistress at Leonora Primary School, Mohess enrolled in 2024 after her husband encouraged her to apply. Her final year brought an unexpected challenge. “Coming down to the end of my final lap, that is, the final year at the University of Guyana, I was actually diagnosed with a medical condition, and that hindered me quite a lot. However, despite all the pain, I persevered, I pushed. I knew that at this point in time, whatever it is, I am not going to let it go because I had already worked so hard,” she related.
“Before, I could have finished my assignments in two to three hours. But after the diagnosis, I took a day or probably two days to complete an assignment. I still had to juggle it because I did not want to leave the university without my degree,” she added.
Mohess credits her husband, who moved with her to a quieter home so she could study. “He was the one that actually helped me with my late-night studies. He would prepare test questions, take my lecture notes, and he would go through them with me. So we put a system in place where he was my main pillar.”
She already knows how she will feel on graduation day. “When I walk that stage, I know for a fact, I might cry.”
For other first-generation graduates, she offered this encouragement: “It’s not that you are writing your own story. You are also helping to change the story of your generation. You are walking them through that door.”
Thirty-year-old Onniss Anthony of Coomacka Mines, Upper Demerara River, Region 10, a registered nurse at the Linden Hospital Complex, was balancing a demanding clinical job with her studies at UG’s Turkeyen Campus when she faced two devastating losses.
“In 2025, I experienced a complicated pregnancy that resulted in the loss of my baby. It was an incredibly traumatic experience, and I needed time to recover both physically and emotionally,” she explained. She was hospitalised and had to withdraw from her summer courses, completing them during the regular semester.
Then, in June 2026, her mother died following a period of illness. “There were moments when I questioned whether I had the emotional capacity to continue, particularly after experiencing the loss of my baby and subsequently losing my mother. There were days when I was simply trying to get through the day,” Anthony shared.
Anthony credits her faith, her husband, her church and her colleagues, especially her twin friends Sherry and Sherryan, who are also graduating. “When I struggled to remain focused or found myself emotionally withdrawn, they stepped in, encouraged me, prayed with me and helped me keep up with my academic responsibilities.”
Her mother’s belief in her also kept her going. “My mother believed I was strong, bright and capable of achieving whatever I set my mind to. She constantly challenged me to see my potential, and that belief became a powerful source of motivation.”
Reflecting on learning that she would graduate, she said: “My first thought was, ‘I actually made it!’ I immediately thought about my mother and wished she was here to witness this milestone. I know she would have been incredibly proud.”
Twenty-five-year-old Sallema Daniels of Aracuru, White Water Village, Region One, pursued her degree online while teaching and raising her two sons. “Internet connectivity was a constant struggle. At times, I had to travel about 15 minutes away from home after teaching during the day just to get a suitable connection and attend my online classes in the afternoon. There were days when I completed my assignments at a pavilion on a hill, simply because I needed a place with better connectivity to get my work done,” she recalled.
On top of those challenges, motherhood brought sacrifices of its own. “I often had to leave my children in the care of their grandmother so I could concentrate on my assignments and presentations. My partner and my family had to adjust to my busy schedule, and there were times I struggled with not having enough time for my home and my loved ones. Financial difficulties added another layer, but I refused to allow my circumstances to determine my future,” Daniels explained.
In her third and final year, she and her partner pooled their resources to buy Starlink satellite internet. “It brought some relief and made my final year a little more comfortable and manageable,” she said.
Then, on July 18, 2026, tragedy struck her family during the MV Barima disaster. Her parents and brother survived, but her 13-year-old sister, Shamera Smith, and her seven-year-old son, Aarave Daniels, died. “Just when I thought I had overcome some of life’s greatest challenges, I almost lost my entire family. Losing Shamera and Aarave left an unimaginable emptiness. My world had changed, and finding the strength to concentrate while carrying that grief was a challenge beyond words,” she shared.
It was her final semester, and she chose to keep going. “I knew how much was at stake. I made a decision that I would not abandon the dream I had worked so hard to achieve. I kept attending my classes, I did my presentations and I kept pushing forward, even on the days when life felt unbearably difficult,” Daniels said.
She credits the support she received at UG during that time. “I will forever be grateful to the two lecturers who showed me understanding and compassion and gave me the time I needed to regain my focus and prepare for my final examinations, and to my colleagues who kept checking on me. Their kindness will always hold a special place in my heart.“
She had hoped to share the moment with both of her sons. “One of my greatest dreams was to walk across the graduation stage with my two sons, Aarave and Kaizer, looking at me. I didn’t get the opportunity to take them to my CPCE [Cyril Potter College of Education] graduation in 2023, and I wanted to give them that experience. Aarave will not be there physically, but his memory will forever be part of this milestone, and a place in my heart will always belong to him and Shamera.“
Her message to others facing similar challenges is simple: “When life knocks you down, rise again. When the road gets difficult, keep walking. When your strength seems small, lean on God; He is always there.”
