Belize packs a lot of diversity into its 6 Districts which includes hundreds of islands which make up the world’s second largest barrier reef. There are also great rainforests and jungles, mountains, caves, savannahs, rivers, lagoons. Belize was an English colony, known as British Honduras, and become an independent country in 1981. It is governed as a parliamentary democracy and is rarely discussed in the world news, which is why the tourism bureau calls it "the Mother Nature’s best kept secret". Agriculture is the #1 industry in Belize, with sugar cane, citrus and bananas leading the list. Tourism is the second largest business in the country. Tourists flock to the coast for the water and reef activities, the rainforests and mountains for eco-tours, bird-watching, butterfly tracking, hiking, exploring Maya ruins, and much, much more.

Cayo is the largest district and where Galen University is located. It is on the western border of the country and has the most diverse terrain of all the districts. There are approximately 40,000 people living in Cayo, primarily in San Ignacio and Santa Elena (twin towns separated by the Macal River) and in Belmopan, the nation’s capital. The nation’s population of 49% Mestizo, 25% Creole, 11% Maya, 6% Garifuna, 3% East Indian, and 6% other nationalities, is evenly reflected in Cayo. 60% of the Cayo District has been set aside for a National Park, Wildlife Sanctuary, or Forest Reserve.

Read Dr. Carla Barnet's Commencement Address

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