Belize Technical College - from 1952 - 2000 it educated some of Belize's finest young minds - many of whom went on to make a huge impact in society.
And now a new book hopes to capture the institution's storied half century history.
"Deeds Not Words" is a historical and literary tribute to the legacy of the Technical high school and the Belize Technical College."
The book is written by Vernon Card and Leonard Mortis, 2 former educators at the institution who saw the need to preserve the history of the school, and historicize how it has impacted national development, and its role in shaping several generations. The book was launched today, and according to one of the authors, Belize has never had anything like it before. Here's more.
Vernon Card, Former Teacher, Belize Technical College
"From the onset, from the school opened its doors to the students in 1952 the institution has been producing all the various people in science and technology for the country right, in all fields: in engineering, in medicine, in doctors, marine scientists, meteorologists, agricultural scientists, nurses etc. And so we figured that even today there are still people that graduate from here and are holding senior posts in Belize, for example the CEO of the Belize Electricity Board, Mr John Mencias, he is a technical graduate. The chief engineer Mr Evondale Moody he is a graduate of Technical. And you know there were many other engineers before him from technical you see? Meteorologist Katherine Cumberbatch, they were from Technical. The president from world wildlife head for Belize, Nadia Bood, all these people are from Technical and still functioning today. And so it was from way back 1952 and it is still having an impact in Belize. So we figured that something like that shouldn't just die off and nobody knows anything about it right?"
Leonard Mortis, Former Lecturer, Belize Technical College
"I was saying in a WhatsApp group that we had about 40 different technical teachers and associates that you know something? Our people are dying, and they are taking with them the story of the Belize technical college. We need to have something written for posterity so you know when I said that Mr Card, the co-author, he immediately started to write as he said from memory. And then I did part 2 of the book which deals with the more deeper research. So I went at the archives department and when I went I was doing work and I had to take my immunization card, and my mask and you know it was in deep Covid. I did all my research at the archives looking at old things there, old newspapers, the Daily Clarion the Belize Billboard, I went to the National Library in belmopan, I did interviews with people from the beginning and people from then, with students and I put all of that together. So my part 2 is more of the serious history."
"Are you satisfied with the product? You can't get this product nowhere miss, nowhere, nowhere this is a one of a kind, this is a collectors' item and this thing is going like hot cake and you know you can get it on Amazon you just go to the search engine and type "Deeds Not Words because that is the name of the book, Belize Technical College it jumps out. So if you are in the diaspora, looking at channel 7 and krem right now just jump onto the device and order one. If you are in country we have a limited supply."
The 582 page book is available on Amazon for 100 US and it has sold out in Belize.
