By Our Reporter | Smart News Liberia
SUAKOKO, BONG COUNTY – Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung, Sr. has challenged graduates of Cuttington University to become job creators rather than job seekers, urging them to embrace entrepreneurship, uphold strong character, and dedicate themselves to national service as Liberia works to address unemployment and stimulate economic growth.
Delivering the keynote address at the university’s 64th Commencement Convocation on Friday, June 27, 2026, Koung said graduates must look beyond earning academic qualifications and focus on using their education to create opportunities for themselves and others.
Speaking on the theme, “Beyond the Degree: Character, Responsibility and Service,” the Vice President acknowledged that unemployment remains one of Liberia’s greatest national challenges and emphasized that the private sector will play a critical role in expanding sustainable employment across the country.
“Our Government recognizes that job creation remains one of our greatest national challenges,” Koung said. “We have determined that expanding the private sector offers one of the strongest pathways to creating sustainable employment for our people.”
Encouraging members of the Class of 2026 to think beyond traditional employment, Koung urged them to develop innovative business ideas capable of creating jobs and contributing to Liberia’s economic transformation.
“As you leave here today, begin thinking about business ideas and make the most of the opportunities our Government is creating,” he told the graduates.
Reflecting on his own journey, Koung described Cuttington University as the institution that helped shape his character and leadership.
“It is good to be home,” he said. “This is the place that helped shape my character. It taught me responsibility and instilled in me the conviction that service is the highest expression of our call to humanity.”
The Vice President recalled his years as a student, highlighting campus experiences that included student leadership elections, chapel services, matriculation bonfires, and friendships that helped prepare him for public service. He praised the university for preserving its motto, Sancte et Sapiente, meaning “Holy and Wise,” while maintaining its reputation as one of Liberia’s leading institutions of higher learning.
Koung also shared his personal story of perseverance, revealing that financial hardship delayed his university education after graduating from high school in 2001. As the eldest son in his family, he worked to support his younger siblings before enrolling at Cuttington University in 2006, where he financed his own education.
Growing up between Grand Bassa and Nimba counties, he said he sold cane juice, gasoline, and medicines to earn a living, experiences that taught him resilience and self-reliance.
“Education is not an expense; it is an investment,” Koung declared, explaining that despite achieving financial stability through business, he chose to pursue higher education because he believed it would open greater opportunities.
He credited classmates with encouraging him to seek student leadership, where he was elected president of his graduating class, an experience he described as the foundation of his political career.
Koung later served two terms as Representative for Nimba County before becoming Senator and eventually Vice President under President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr.
Drawing lessons from his own life, Koung reminded graduates that success depends on much more than academic credentials.
“While your degree may open doors, it is your character that will keep those doors open. While your degree may help you secure a position, it is your sense of responsibility that will determine how far you go. And while your degree may earn you recognition, it is your commitment to service that will define your legacy,” he said.
He urged graduates to safeguard their integrity, accept responsibility, and remain committed to serving their communities even when their efforts go unnoticed.
Concluding his address, Koung encouraged the Class of 2026 to move confidently into the future, using their education to create opportunities, strengthen Liberia’s economy, and inspire positive change.
“Go forward with confidence, purpose, character, responsibility, and service,” he said. “Go forward knowing that the future of Liberia is brighter because of you.”
The commencement ceremony brought together members of the university’s Board of Trustees, faculty, clergy, alumni, government officials, parents, and invited guests to celebrate the achievements of the graduating class and reaffirm Cuttington University’s enduring role in producing leaders committed to Liberia’s development.
