These were the words spoken by St. Kitts-Nevis Ambassador Jacinth Henry-Martin during a dinner held in honor of "Education Champions" hosted by COMPAS Inc. on Saturday March 15, 2014. According to Ambassador Martin, great teachers exist because they take the time to care for students, making their lives richer through the process of mentoring and educating.
COMPAS provides College Mentoring Preparatory and Access Services with a view to prepare students of the federation of St. Kitts and Nevis for the challenges of pursuing academia in the New York Metropolitan area.
The "Education Champions" Awards Dinner was a unique opportunity to celebrate the stellar contributions made by some of the federation's teachers. These dynamic men and women who transformed the lives of students and their families championed the cause for education and set the bar high for other teachers to follow.
COMPAS member and event organizer, Janet Archibald-Gumbs welcomed all in attendance and shared a brief history of the birth of the COMPAS organization. The beaming education advocate expressed her appreciation for the opportunity to give back to the federation in a very meaningful way through COMPAS .
The witty, well-loved son of Nevisian soil, Mr. Lincoln "Santoy" Swanston delivered a rousing start to the night by introducing himself, Santoy style. National anthems of the USA and the federation of St. Kitts and Nevis were rendered by Ms. Abena Amory and Ms. Davida Browne while Mrs. Yren Manning invoked God's blessings on the evening's proceedings!
Ambassador Henry-Martin expressed her fond appreciation for the lives and commitment of teachers who are the foundation of every nation. She emphasized her adulation for the COMPAS initiative, which is a collaboration of educational visionaries who, despite the barrier of distance, have capitalized on an excellent opportunity to mentor dozens of the federation's aspiring college graduates. To her mind, the COMPAS outreach effort provides a safe haven of sorts to many of the federation's students who seek out New York schools because of the vibrant SKN community that exists in New York. Henry-Martin lauded the honored teachers and expressed her pleasure to have been invited to offer remarks in recognition of those who have served to educate the people of our nation.
The COMPAS organizers went through great lengths to delight the palates of the evening's guests. Following the Ambassador's speech, attendees partook in a spread of sumptuous food that included smothered fish, brown creole turkey, barbeque and jerked chicken.
Light and enjoyable musical entertainment was served up during dinner by the infamous I'Lan Band with the bubbly lead singer Abena Amory, accompanied by the musical genius Trevor "Bridges" Bridgewater and his crew.
Of course, the witty one, Santoy Swanston, kept the audience enlivened with a taste of his humorous savvy.
Key note speaker Dr. Vincent "Truman" Liburd took to the podium expressing sincere gratitude to COMPAS for having invited him to share in the celebratory evening but also to acknowledge the value of the noble work being done through an organization such as COMPAS. He singled out some of the great poetry work of COMPAS member Ms. Heather Archibald, reading one of her poems entitled "Night Wet," which is a candid reflection of the beauty of tropical nights growing up in St. Kitts.
Dr. Liburd, an educator in his own right, offered himself in service to the nation's students and now provides smart technology-enable solutions to clients in 70 countries as an organization development expert. He acknowledged the great value in teaching as it serves to benefit not only individuals but also communities and the entire nation as a whole. He extended best wishes to the COMPAS team and encouraged them to stay the course as trailblazers in their chosen field of mentoring the young people of our federation who will one day impart their knowledge and experiences to the next generation of students.
Blossoming songstress Ms. Davida Browne delighted the audience with her rendition of "To Sir With Love."
When it was time for the meat and potatoes of the night, George Washington Archibald, William Hodge, Sydney Finley, Leona Brathwaite-Goldstein and Elise Marthol were given the nod for being some of the federation's highly respected teachers, renowned for the impact they made on thousands of students who benefited from their tutelage. Ms. Elise Marthol was unable to attend the event, however of the four Education Champions in attendance on Saturday evening, each expressed an abundance of gratitude to the COMPAS team for honoring their work and contribution to education in St. Kitts and Nevis. George Washington Archibald's three-minute soldier like salute was a tremendously moving moment. Recovering from an illness he suffered in July of 2013, guests were in awe at how resolute Washie's spirits seemed and how attentive he was despite his unfortunate illness. We continue to pray for his steady recovery.
Surely, the COMPAS team’s timing for honoring these remarkable human beings could not be more appropriate.
As the evening drew to an exciting close, COMPAS partner Ms. Tula Nesbitt read the great poet Maya Angelou's piece, "I Rise."
Ms. Heather Archibald, a COMPAS, Inc. "mover and shaker" expressed heartfelt thanks to ALL including those who could not attend but supported the initiative in some way. Heather left no stone unturned in conveying sincere thank you's to all involved in the intricate planning of the event as well as those who sacrificed their time to attend, including the honorees, the students, key note speaker Dr. Vincent Liburd and the very well-loved federation's first female Ambassador Ms. Jacinth Henry-Martin. Ms. Archibald also offered special thanks to Acting Chief United States Administrative Law Judge in the Bronx, the Honorable Selwyn S. C. Walters who sat with the honorees at the head table in his role as a COMPAS member.
Teachers regard their students as valuable components in the field of education. In fact, teachers cannot exist without students and because of their love for the profession, many teachers rise above the minimum requirements of teaching to become household names.
The night's honorees have made exceptional and unforgettable contributions to hundreds of students now interspersed across the globe. We wish them the best in all their future endeavors.
The COMPAS team was extraordinary in its delivery of its initiative dubbed "Education Champions" and its members, partners and well wishers look forward to its continued service to students abroad and the federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.
Thanks and Thanks Again from The COMPAS Team
Mr. William Hodge flanked by Ambassador Henry-Martin and T.C. Phipps-Benjamin
Mr. Sydney Finley with Ambassador Henry-Martin and Tula Nesbitt
Washy Accepts Award with Ambassador Henry-Martin and Lennox Liburd
Mrs. Leona Brathwaite-Goldstein with Ambassador Henry-Martin and Phyllis Archibald-Bridgewater
Ms. Marthol Accepts Award on behalf of Ms. Elisa Marthol
Flanked by Ambassador Henry-Martin and COMPAS organizer Janet Archibald-Gumbs
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