After five years of building and preparation, a ribbon was cut and a set of new doors opened today for SJC. The school officially inaugurated its very first three storey STEM building this morning, which will serve both the secondary and tertiary level SJC students - opening the way to SJC University. Jomarie Lanza reports:
After 136 years of Jesuit education at the secondary and tertiary level, St John's College is on its way to becoming a fully accredited four year university.
Today the institution inaugurated its very first STEM facility, equipped with all the amenities of a science lab, math rooms and conference quarters which will serve both the university and sixth form.
And who might they name this historical new building after?
As a mark of her tireless dedication towards the development of the institution, a plaque was unveiled at the ceremony, revealing that the building would be christened after the School's president, and named the "Mirtha Alicia Peralta Hall." After almost five years of construction on and off due to external factors beyond their control, Perlata shared with us her sentiments today now that the project is completed.
Mirtha Alicia Peralta, President, SJC
"So it has been a long awaited journey and of course we are very hopeful and pleased that we are now able to open this STEM facility and the university to the people of Belize."
"When we started the project we didn't start with nursing and engineering and so that added on because we got the permission to go four years. And so we have on the second floor we have a nursing lab and a nursing hall we also have an engineering room. We have huge facilities for inorganic and organic chemistry we have for biology we have two math labs and we also have four class rooms we also have two large conference halls one for the university and one for the junior college. Two faculty rooms and huge spaces in terms of storage and preparatory rooms for our teachers and our students to be comfortable."
The 15 thousand square foot building is set to cater to 200 university students, with 85 of them being new entrants into SJC's nursing programme. Peralta notes that the institution is accredited which is recognized by 27 schools in the US.
Mirtha Alicia Peralta, President, SJC
"We have been in existence from 1887 and in 1952 we opened the junior college and now we have expanded into a full fledged university and when the minister of education Hon Francis Fonsecca granted us the approval it is approval to have undergraduate programmes and graduate programmes so in the next 50 years you can look out for masters degrees doctorate degrees being offered here at St John's college."
We asked a few former SJC boys for their comments in regards to the school's relentless progression.
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education
"Yeah I'm always proud to be associated with St John's college. This is a historic day and definitely a milestone for SJC. And as you all know the Jesuits have been at the forefront for education in Belize for decades and certainly it was important for as MOE and me as the minister to give my full support to moving SJC to really a final stage which is the bachelor's degree programme and making them a full fledged university in Belize. They have a proud tradition of delivering quality education to Belizeans and so we wanted to built in that tradition and legacy so I'm very happy that we now have the St Johnson college university and of course today they are inaugurating their science building again that's another pillar of our education agenda making sure that we are providing opportunities for students in Belize and everyone really to get access to Science, technology and education."
Florencio Marin, Minister of Defense
"Well I'm an SJC boy I am totally proud of my almamater and I'm so glad to see this new improvement, Jesuit education is the best so i'm sure this university will make a name very soon for itself. On a personal note I have spent a decade here in my life so SJC has a personal impact on my life."
Kareem Musa, Min of Home Affairs
"It is truly an honor for me as the area representative and as a proud alumni of this institution both the highschool and the junior college. We are talking about gears since 1887 of a wonderful Jesuit education now expanding to level of university and as you rightly said now going into the science and the mathematics and the types of research that so many of our young people are looking forward to that type of education. And so it's an opportunity for us congratulate and applaud this institution this wonderful institution and of course the ministry of education who continues to give it's full support for the continued education and development of SJC."
A total of 10 million dollars was spent on the addition of the new STEM facility.
