Where Are Our Valedictorians: Jennaecia Lewis

Written by Hannah Birru

Thumbnail Photo by Jennaecia Lewis

The “Where Are Our Valedictorians” series aims to feature Saint Mary’s University's past valedictorians, highlighting their journeys from the top of their graduating class to their presence in their local community and beyond.  

Photo by Jennaecia Lewis

 Every year, the top students at Saint Mary’s University compete for their chance behind the podium to deliver the valedictorian speech at graduation. The graduating class of 2020, who graduated online due to COVID-19, competed for the spotlight on the green screen, nevertheless a most prestigious honour for successful students like Jennaecia Lewis. Jennaecia Lewis, a former biology teacher and our first feature for Where Are Our Valedictorians, sits down with the SMU Journal to share her story: the story beginning with a teacher in the Caribbean and finishing as the 2020 SMU Valedictorian.

 Born in Guyana and raised in the Caribbean, Jennaecia was a biology teacher in the Caribbean before attending Saint Mary's University. Jennaecia was inspired to reach beyond the classroom through her time as a teacher and decided to further her education by enrolling in the B.A. Psychology program at Saint Mary's University. When asked why she picked Saint Mary's, Jennaecia raved about the strong community of Caribbean students at Saint Mary's, which was a vital asset to her success as an international student. In her valedictorian speech, she joked: "For me, Saint Mary's was an obvious choice. I was drawn to the small classes. I knew I did not want to spend my university experience feeling like just an ID number. And as a lot of my professors would tell you… I need attention". 

 As a student, Jennaecia kept busy with a multitude of extracurriculars and a dedicated study schedule. When asked why she thought she was selected to represent her graduating class, Jennaecia noted her strong work ethic, which allowed her to achieve a near-perfect grade point average, a strong involvement in university activities, and an articulate valedictorian speech. Beyond pursuing an honours degree in Psychology, Jennaecia served as the President of the Psychology Society for two years, a writing centre tutor for science students, a teaching assistant with the Engineer and Psychology departments, and a communications officer with SMU Mental Health Society. 

 The graduating class of 2020 had a roller coaster of a year with many lows. In the final year of their degree, these students faced: the COVID-19 pandemic, an uncertain job market, missed networking opportunities, and so much more. Of course, we are all affected by the pandemic, but graduating amidst such chaos and uncertainty presents a unique challenge. For Jennaecia, when the university initially closed, her thesis and research were abruptly paused. Like much of the graduating class of 2020, Jennaecia struggled with the uncertainty surrounding graduation and her prospective future. Unable to continue her research for her honours thesis, she felt she had failed. Nevertheless, Jennaecia praises her professors and the Saint Mary’s Department of Psychology during the difficult transition to online university. Notably, she attributes the support and guidance of her thesis supervisors, Dr. Jason Ivanoff and Dr. David Bourgeois, to the completion of her thesis studying the influence of offence-taking based on implicit attitudes.  

Photo by Saint Mary's University

 After graduating, Jennaecia worked with Saint Mary's very own Patrick Power Library as a writing center tutor for science students. Currently, Jennaecia works as a middle school math and science teacher at Halifax Grammar School, coincidentally located across the street from the Saint Mary's campus. Additionally, Jennaecia hopes to apply to a graduate program in the near future to pursue her master's in Psychology. 

 When asked if she had any insights or advice for current students and the graduating class of 2021, who are similarly entering the job market amidst another lockdown, Jennaecia answered: “To let yourself go, most notably through emotions. The highs and the lows. To validate your feelings, to let yourself be angry, sad. But also push yourself, adapt and change your plans, do not slack off, and take care of yourself mentally.” 

 Jennaecia, in the closing remarks of her valedictorian speech, quoted DeShauna Barber, Miss USA 2016, "Do not fear failure, but please be terrified of regret." A year later, Jennaecia seems to be living by her closing remarks, pushing her boundaries, and remaining resilient amidst the challenges of a pandemic.