UG Class of 2026: 1st in their families to earn university degrees, UG graduates pave way for future generations

For some families, a university graduation is an experience they have never witnessed. There are no graduation photographs on the walls or older siblings who can explain what to expect. For others, higher education has remained an ambition that financial difficulties and personal circumstances made difficult to achieve.

For several members of the University of Guyana’s (UG) Class of 2026, however, that experience is changing. They are the first in their families to earn university degrees, opening doors for younger relatives and demonstrating what can be achieved through perseverance and determination.

Among them is Vanisha Ramnauth-Pegues, who describes herself as “Nevisian by birth and Guyanese by heart!” She returned to Guyana with a renewed sense of purpose after becoming a mother, wanting to create a better future for her son.