Welcome to Mary Seacole Hall and congratulations on being accepted to pursue higher studies at the Caribbean 's premier tertiary education institution. This academic year will mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the University of the West Indies. The Mona Campus is the place for young Caribbean nationals to engage their beings and their minds in the debatesurrounding the nature of the Caribbean self.

This has and will continue to be an important undertaking for the development of Caribbean people. Mary Seacole Hall celebrates the spirit of the Jamaican nurse and caregiver, Mary Seacole, who was the true hero of the Crimean War. Mary Seacole distinguished herself as a pioneer of the nursing profession; she was resourceful, creative and independent. She was a woman who lived life according to her own rules, despite the challenges she faced in her time.

In 1948, when the Hall received its first students, it was Dr. Lucille Mathurin-Mair who served as the first warden. Having distinguished herself as an outstanding woman she is described by some as “a Caribbean citizen of great intellectual stature and high international repute and of who all the Caribbean is proud.” You are now a part of this legacy. As we stand on the eve of our fiftieth anniversary, remember that you have a tradition to live up to. The hall administration is committed to providing a living and learning environment where you can discover your true potential. I ask that you embrace this opportunity; that you come prepared to be a change agent and to be changed.