GARDNERSVILLE, LIBERIA – Hon. Garmondeh M. Yebleh delivered an inspiring and reflective keynote address at the 21st Kindergarten Graduation Ceremony of the School of Prime System (SPS) Maryland Center, Gardnersville, on Sunday, July 13, 2025, urging students, parents, and educators to embrace the principle that “applied knowledge is power.”
The graduation, held on the SPS campus in Gardnersville, drew parents, educators, invited guests, and members of the fourth estate to celebrate the academic journey of the class of 2024–2025. Yebleh, serving as guest speaker, used the occasion to reflect on his own educational path, from kindergarten to earning a master’s degree, encouraging graduates and stakeholders to value foundational learning and apply their knowledge for national development.
“Today, I’m so happy to be part of this program,” Yebleh said. “As the kid was reading my autobiography, I was smiling because just yesterday I was like them, graduating from K2. The late Vice President Enoch Dogolea was my commencement speaker. Today, I hold a master’s degree and serve as guest speaker for these kids. That journey brings me great honor.”
Yebleh, a career diplomat and educator who lectures at the United Methodist University (UMU) and the University of Liberia (UL), told attendees that knowledge alone does not bring transformation, its application does.
“You often hear people say ‘knowledge is power,’ but knowledge cannot be power when it is not applied. If the teachers here today had just acquired knowledge but never used it to teach these kids, that knowledge would be dead,” he said. “Whether you gained your education formally or informally, you must apply it to make it meaningful.”
Reflecting on his roots in Gardnersville, Yebleh praised the transformation of the school from a humble institution once known as Randall Reagan into a model academic facility. He paid tribute to the late co-founder and educator, the wife of Mr. Wiyaga Trey, for their contribution to youth development in the community.
“To see the kind of structure erected here today tells you that people still have interest in educating our children,” he noted. “Let me say congratulations to all of the teaching and administrative staff of this institution for upholding the standards of education. That’s the only meaningful thing we can give these kids.”
Addressing the graduates, faculty, and parents, Yebleh stressed the importance of a solid educational foundation for young learners.
“When you don’t maintain standards at this stage, I’m sorry, it may end another way. The best place to train children is at the foundational level,” he said. “If their foundation is strong, the future is promising.”
The ceremony ended on a high note as Yebleh encouraged all stakeholders to not only celebrate academic milestones, but to also ensure that education is transformative through application.
From kindergarten to a master’s degree, and now to impacting others, that’s the kind of growth Liberia needs,” he said.
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