Ministerial Statement by the Minister of Education and Workforce Development, The Hon. Diallo V. Rabain, JP, MP:
Mr. Speaker, This morning I rise to share with this Honourable House, the Ministry of Education’s 2018 scholarship and awards recipients. Yesterday evening, the Ministry of Education and Workforce Development held its annual Scholarships and Awards Reception. It was an incredible evening of recognition and celebration of an outstanding group of Bermudians. This year’s recipients of the Ministry’ scholarships and awards are of different ages, backgrounds and disciplines, and yet in common, they have a deep commitment to achievement and to building a better Bermuda.
Mr. Speaker, This Government shares this commitment. We not only value education, but are investing in education. We are delivering on our pledge to provide greater opportunities for Bermudians to help meet their individual education and training needs, but also those of our community and economy.
It is our belief that funds for post-secondary education and training be used both strategically and in line with our values. Therefore, we continue to provide long-standing scholarships and awards, such as the Bermuda Government Scholarships for outstanding scholars and Further Education Awards for students who need financial help to finish college or university.
Mr. Speaker, Historically, there has been a focus on a particular kind of scholarship student. Through our scholarship and awards, we continue to salute those students, but we have also broadened our focus to recognize, celebrate and invest in students as diverse and promising as our community.
Mr. Speaker, We made significant changes to the award for mature students, lowering the eligibility age from 35 to 25 to capture a broader group of people, including those who had trouble getting to college in the first place, or those who had to stop their education due to lack of funds or other obstacles.
Mr. Speaker, We continued to offer Minister’s Scholarships and Awards and added two new scholarships. The Applied Tech Scholarship was introduced to recognize and support public senior school dual-enrolment students in Bermuda College’s Applied Technology Programme. While in senior school, students do not pay tuition as they are of compulsory school age. However, once they graduate from senior school, students who remain in the programme must pay tuition. For the first time ever, we have 3 Minister’s Applied Tech Scholarship recipients who will receive $5,000 to study at Bermuda College. In another first, we offered the Minister’s Bermuda College Book Award valued at $500 each. Six Bermuda College students will benefit from this award.
Mr. Speaker, We also offered The Minister’s Exceptional Student Award for students with disabilities. Much appreciation and gratitude has been expressed for this award in particular. It is without doubt, special to many parents, students and educators because of the inherent challenges that students with learning differences, physical disabilities, or other exceptionalities, experience, while still persevering in their pursuit of post-secondary education.
Mr. Speaker, While time doesn’t permit me to name every single 2018 scholarship or award winner, I would like to highlight some of the recipients to give tangible examples of the Government’s investment in education.
Recipients of the Minister’s Applied Tech Scholarship are:
- Donavan Drummond, a simultaneous graduate of CedarBridge Academy and the Bermuda College dual enrollment programme, who is enrolled in the Certificate in Applied Technology Programme at Bermuda College, majoring in Information Technology.
- Seth Samuels, a simultaneous graduate of CedarBridge Academy, and the Bermuda College dual enrollment programme, who is enrolled in the Associate of Science (Computer Information System) Programme, at Bermuda College majoring in Information Technology, and
- Jalair Trott-Richardson, a simultaneous graduate of The Berkeley Institute, and the Bermuda College dual enrollment programme, who is enrolled in the Certificate in Applied Technology Programme at Bermuda College, majoring in Information Technology.
Recipients of the Minister’s Achievement Scholarship are:
- Kaila Harvey, an honour student and graduate of The Berkeley Institute. She will attend the University of Essex in the UK where she will study towards a degree in Creative Writing and English Literature, and
- Storm Gibbons, who was Head Girl and graduated from CedarBridge Academy, who will attend Mount Allison University studying towards BSc in Biology. She plans to pursue a career in medicine and health.
Recipients of the Minister’s Technical and Vocational Award are:
- Jameko Gomes, a graduate of The Berkeley Institute and the Bermuda College. He is the recipient of the overseas award. Jameko is presently enrolled at the University Of Ontario Institute Of Technology in the Bachelor of Information Technology (Hons) Programme, majoring in Networking and Information Technology Security, and
- Tyrece Dyer, a Bermuda College student, enrolled in the Certificate in Motor Vehicle Technology progrmame. He is the recipient of the local award.
The recipients of the Minister’s Exceptional Student Award are:
- Taejah Virgil, who is enrolled at the Bermuda College where she will study towards an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration. She is a recipient of the local award.
- Jared Rego, who is enrolled at Mount Saint Vincent University in the Bachelor of Business Administration Programme in association with the Bermuda College. He is a recipient of the local award, and
- Darren Trott, who is enrolled at Georgia State University where he is majoring in Actuarial Science. He is the recipient of the overseas award.
The recipients of the Minister’s Bermuda College Book Award are:
- Regina Dill
- Rickea Trott
- Chelsey Walker
- Naphisa Smith
- Najah Garcia, and
- Jiqena Furqan
All 22 recipients of the Further Education Award are too numerous to name, but a few are:
- Jordan Payne
- Kayjuana Lema
- Taylor Hill, and
- Tahirah Cross
The recipients of the Non-Traditional Award are:
- Lindsay Gaugain, who is completing a Bachelor in Accounting at American Intercontinental University, and
- Matthew Johnston, who is pursuing a degree in English on his path towards becoming an English teacher.
The recipients of the Teacher Education Scholarship are:
- Kallan Thomas, who is enrolled at the University of Brighton and is pursuing a BA in Education in order to become a teacher of mathematics.
- Shannon Davis, who is studying at Mount Saint Vincent University and is pursuing a BA in Education. She will become a social studies teacher at the secondary level.
- Gilat Smith, who is enrolled at the University of Central Florida. She will become an English teacher at the secondary level after completing her BA in English Education, and
- Leticia Williams, who is pursuing a BA in Early Years and Special and Inclusive Education at Nottingham Trent University. She will become a special education teacher.
The Teacher Education Scholarship is given to candidates pursuing initial teacher training and who as a condition of their scholarship will work as teachers in Bermuda Public Schools. I am pleased to inform this House, that 2 of the 2018 recipients have only 1 more year before completing their BA in Education and will therefore become teachers in areas of significant need at the beginning of the 2019/20 school year.
And finally, the recipients of the Bermuda Government Scholarship are:
- Jay-Quan Dill, a 2018 graduate of The Berkeley Institute. He will attend Nova Southeastern University to study towards a B.S. in Chemistry in his pursuit of a medical degree.
- Nia Dailey, a graduate of The Berkeley Institute in 2016, where she was also a part-time dual enrolment student. She is currently a sophomore student attending Spelman College pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Health, and
- Ari Minors, a recent graduate of Mount St. Vincent University, who also graduated from The Berkeley Institute in 2014, and Bermuda College in 2016. She will pursue an MA in International Business at Regent’s University London.
The full list of recipients will be available on moed.bm later this morning.
Mr. Speaker, I share the pride of the 46 recipients, their families, educators and other mentors, and would ask that Members of this House support me in congratulating them and wishing them future success as they further their studies.
I would also like to thank the Chairpersons and members of the Minister’s Scholarships and Awards Committee, the Board of Education’s Scholarship Committee, as well as the Scholarship Administrator in the Ministry Headquarters. It is with passion and dedication that they serve in order to foster the promise that our recipients bring to the scholarship process, their studies and to Bermuda and its future.