Basseterre, St. Kitts May 31, 2010 – A new scholarship fund that will promote academic and civic excellence among students of the Tucker-Clarke Primary School was officially established on April 8th, 2010.
The William Marcus Natta Memorial Scholarship Fund, dedicated to the memory of Mr. William Marcus Natta, former St. Kitts-Nevis Defence Force sargeant and trade unionist, will offer two scholarships to students from Tucker-Clarke Primary School who demonstrate scholarly ambition, community activism, and a sound moral character. The Scholarship Fund intends to provide financial as well as educational assistance to students from low-income families.
“The Scholarship not only honours my father’s memory but hopes to also be an incentive for the academic and civic uplift of our primary school students,” said Dr. Marcus L. Natta, Ph.D., chairman of the William Marcus Natta Memorial Scholarship Fund. “If our scholarship can encourage our children to excel both in the classroom and in their communities, then we would have achieved our most important objective.”
Tucker-Clarke (formerly New Town Primary) was chosen as the first primary school recipient because of its longstanding role as the premiere educational institution in the New Town area. It is also the alma mater of the Scholarship Fund’s chairman and was integral to his educational foundation during his formative years. The School has and continues to serve the East Basseterre community with pride and distinction and has produced many outstanding students in academics, medicine, sports, and politics such as Lavina and Willa Liburd (state scholars), the Governor-General, His Excellency Dr. Cuthbert Sebastian (medical doctor), Tiandra Ponteen (olympian), Keith 'Kayamba' Gumbs (professional soccer player), Trevor Levine (professional golfer), the Honourable Dr. Earl Asim Martin (government minister), and many other notables.
The Board of Trustees hopes to expand the Scholarship Fund to other primary schools on St. Kitts and Nevis, but for this initial period only students at Tucker-Clarke Primary will be eligible for acceptance. The Scholarship Fund will provide a total of two scholarships each academic year to a male and female student, selected from grades five or six. Scholarship awards will range from EC $500 to EC $2,000. The Scholarship Fund will begin accepting applications in March 2011 with the inaugural awards being granted in July 2011.
For more information, please call (869) 465 8084 or visit www.nattascholarshipfund.org.
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