Reported by: Prince Saah
Bong County – Bill McGill Jones, Deputy Minister of State for Administration, urged Bong County University graduating students to reject excuses, embrace resilience, create opportunities, and dedicate their education to Liberia’s development in an inspiring and emotionally charged motivational speech.
Speaking at the President’s Tea Party with the theme “Make Yourself and Liberia Proud,” Jones informed the graduates that their degrees symbolized not only their own accomplishments but also the sacrifices made by parents, guardians, and families who went through difficult times to provide for their education.
In one of the most memorable moments of his speech, the Deputy Minister asked the graduates to stand and applaud their parents and sponsors, saying, “Your degree carries their fingerprints too.” Jones centered his address around what he called “The People of 4:30 in the Morning”, ordinary Liberian parents who wake before dawn each day to farm, trade, and struggle so their children can receive an education.
“Every one of you has a 4:30-in-the-morning story. Some of you studied by candlelight. Some walked long distances to campus. Some buried loved ones during your studies. Yet today, you made it,” he added.
The Deputy Minister also urged the graduates to make significant contributions to Liberia, Bong County, and themselves in remembrance of those sacrifices. Finding one’s purpose, refusing to make excuses, committing to national development, creating jobs rather than waiting for work, and seeing failure as a teacher rather than a barrier are the five success principles that Jones stated during his speech.
In response to worries about youth unemployment, Jones pushed graduates to start their own businesses while acknowledging the scarcity of government jobs. “The answer to unemployment is not only employment, it is enterprise,” he declared, encouraging graduates to establish businesses in agriculture, technology, transportation, education, healthcare, and other sectors capable of employing fellow Liberians.
Using examples from his own career, Jones described how he worked for the Ministry of Gender, the Civil Service Agency, and other professional organizations in the US before going back to his native country to work for President Joseph N. Boakai. “I did not arrive here by accident or luck,” he said. “I arrived by preparation. God does not waste preparation. Opportunity may delay, but it does not ignore the prepared.”
He reminded graduates that Liberia’s future depends on educated and ethical citizens capable of advancing the government’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development. “Our government can develop policies and budgets, but no agenda can succeed without trained, committed and honest people. Liberia needs every single one of you,” Jones emphasized.
The Deputy Minister also encouraged graduates to remain resilient in the face of setbacks, describing failure as an essential part of success. “Failure is not your enemy; failure is your teacher,” he said. “Liberia survived civil war, Ebola and COVID-19. Resilience is your birthright.”
Concluding his address, Jones urged the graduates to guard their integrity, continue learning, serve their communities, and live lives worthy of inspiring future generations. “You have made your families proud. You have made this university proud,” he said. “Now go out and make yourself proud. Make Bong County proud. Make Liberia proud.”
