BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (March 5, 2011) --- Tresa Willett, a recent graduate of the Secondary Programme of the Division of Teacher Education at the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC), was awarded the Joshua Obadiah Williams Award for her academic excellence and exemplary conduct while studying at the academic institution.
Miss Willett, who now holds an Associate Degree in Education from the University of the West Indies, entered the CFBC in 2008 to pursue a two year programme in teacher training. During the two years, she demonstrated seriousness, discipline and the right attitude to learning, qualities that enabled her to achieve a 3.7 Grade Point Average (GPA) upon completion of her studies.
Quiet and humble in personality, Miss Willett said that she felt “honoured and grateful” to the persons responsible for singling her out for the award and that “it was well worth it” having gone through two years of intense training.
“It was the icing on the cake,” she said with satisfaction.
Head of the Division of Teacher Education at the CFBC, Ionie Liburd-Willett, said that Ms. Willett’s noteworthy achievement was due to her “diligence and commitment to her studies”.
“She was a quiet student, who worked assiduously and consistently throughout the two years. Her conduct was exemplary and as such she was considered a model student.”
“I would encourage persons to teach for two years before entering the programme at the CFBC so that their studies can be enhanced by their experience in the classroom,” Ms. Willett said.
Being a teacher for five years, Ms. Willett presently teaches Geography at the Basseterre High School and was recently appointed as the Head of the Geography Department. She said that she has the ambition to pursue further studies in the field of education.
Ms. Willett was presented with her prestigious award on December 7, 2010 at the CFBC and graduated from the CFBC on November 28, 2010 with Summa Cum Laude.
She thanks her family, friends, colleagues and staff of the CFBC for their sterling support during her two year study period.
The Molineux Primary School was renamed “The Joshua Obadiah Williams Primary School” in recognition of the visionary work and sterling service that he gave to that school for over ten years.
Joshua Obadiah Williams was born in Nevis in 1926 to parents Albert Victor Williams (aka. Wenty Williams) and Adosha Elizabeth Williams. He began teaching in 1942 at St. Thomas School in Nevis at the age of 16 after attaining the Seventh Standard Certificate (the highest level of education available in those days).
In 1948, he came to St. Kitts and continued teaching. In a few short years, he passed the Second Class Teachers Certificate and went on to Erdiston Teachers College in Barbados (1955-1957) where he received further training. On his return in 1957, he taught at the Cayon School and then St. Paul’s School.
In 1965 he went to the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus in Jamaica where he successfully completed the Professional Certificate in Education. On his return to St. Kitts, he was made Headmaster and was assigned to the Molineux All Age School. The final school where he served was the Basseterre Boys School.
When he retired (in the early 1980s), he did volunteer work with the Red Cross and also became more active with the Lions Club of which he was a member. His interests also included the church where he was a Lay preacher in the Anglican Church up until his demise.
His fame as an exceptional teacher spread throughout the length and breadth of the country and he affectionately became known as“ Teacher Williams” or “Teacher Obie” In his eyes, as long as you were taught by him, you became his student for life.
