Sandals awards GSAT scholarships to 22 kids

Carl Gilchrist, Gleaner Writer

Twenty-two students from 13 schools were awarded scholarships last Thursday by the Sandals Foundation in continuation of its Community Award Scholarships programme, now into its 13th year.

The presentation took place at Sandals Grande Ocho Rios and was attended by representatives of 13 Sandals properties from the Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, Whitehouse and Negril regions.

The students are drawn from communities in which Sandals Resorts International operates and include those who previously benefited, as well as newcomers who recently passed the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT).

All awardees performed well academically over the past year.

Among the most outstanding were Queen-Aura Bennett, formerly of Parry Town Primary, who will attend St Hilda's come September.

Bennett, who was deputy head girl, received an award for being most-disciplined female student. In addition, she achieved a 90 per cent average in GSAT.

Other recipients

Nicole Nation of Montego Bay Community College, who secured eight distinctions at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate level, placed first and third in the island in religious studies and mathematics in the 2009 exams. She is in the second year of her two-year, pre-university science programme.

Paulando Stewart, who moves into third form at Manning's next month, was chosen top male recipient, having averaged 72, while Samantha Backriddan of Hampton School, with an overall 91, was top girl.

Herbert Morrison third-former Jillean Chambers showed maturity and confidence in delivering the vote of thanks.

"At 14 years old, Jillean Chambers is slowly stamping her mark as an academic powerhouse at the Herbert Morrison Technical High School.

"The budding teacher or hotel manager further enjoys reading, singling and writing poetry and short stories in her spare time. Jillean eagerly awaits the challenges of third form, confident she will excel even more," Regional Public Relations Manager Ian Spencer read in his introduction of her.

Thirteen-year-old Samantha Backridden, a first-time recipient, will attend Hampton and picked up her scholarship on the back of a 91 average. She was second in a class of 49 students and was graded 99 in GSAT maths. She hopes to be a lawyer.

Schools whose students benefited from scholarships were: Manning's (four), Cornwall College (three), St Hilda's (two), Herbert Morrison (two), Rusea's (two), Bluefields Academy (two), and one each from the Ocho Rios, St Mary, Brown's Town, York Castle, Mary Mount, and Hampton high schools, as well as Montego Bay Community College.