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“Your beginning does not define your end” – Brickdam Secondary alumna delivers message of resilience to graduates
(Kaieteur News) – The 2025 graduating class of Brickdam Secondary School received a powerful message of hope and determination on Thursday as alumna Alisha Koulen, now Operations Manager at STEMGuyana returned to her former school 16 years after her own graduation to deliver the feature address.
Koulen’s appearance held special significance. This year’s valedictorian, a standout science student, completed an exceptional 17 CSEC subjects, earning 10 Grade Ones, creating a symbolic moment in which one generation of high-achieving science students passed the torch to the next. Raised in Sophia under challenging conditions, Koulen shared a story shaped by hardship, resilience, and reinvention. She spoke candidly about growing up without electricity or proper infrastructure, facing academic pressure, and even experiencing the setback of failing CSEC Mathematics. Her message to students was unequivocal: failure is not final.
Alisha Koulen, Operations Manager at STEMGuyana
“Your beginning does not define your end,” she told the graduates, urging them never to allow their environment or setbacks to limit their potential. She highlighted the importance of persistence, reminding students that the world’s most successful people, whether athletes, authors, or leaders. have all faced obstacles and rejection.
Koulen recounted how retaking Mathematics led her to the University of Guyana, how uncertainty pushed her to pursue new opportunities, and how perseverance resulted in receiving two scholarships, completing a master’s degree, and eventually securing a role in environmental work overseas. Today, she works at the forefront of youth technology programs, impacting more than 3,000 young people across Guyana and representing the country on international stages, including the United Nations Climate Change Conferences.
In her address, she encouraged graduates to be strategic about the next steps in their academic and professional lives. With Guyana rapidly evolving, she emphasised the importance of choosing fields that align with global and national shifts, especially in technology and innovation. But beyond personal ambition, Koulen urged them to remain rooted in community: “Success is not just about what you gain, it’s also about how you lift others as you grow.”
She closed by inviting the graduates to join STEMGuyana as interns or coaches, offering them a pathway into the fields of robotics, digital literacy, and emerging technologies. The ceremony ended with applause not just for the graduates, but for the powerful reminder that greatness can emerge from any starting point. For the students of Brickdam Secondary, Koulen’s return was more than a speech, it was a testament that resilience, strategy, and courage can turn any beginning into a remarkable story.
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