Four students benefit from Alexander Hamilton Scholarship Fund
By Pauline Waruguru
Nevis Reporter-SKNVibes.com
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The awardees
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CHARLESTOWN, Nevis - FOUR secondary school students were each awarded EC$500 from the Alexander Hamilton Scholarship Fund at a ceremony held at the Hamilton House Grounds on Thursday (Jan. 15) evening.
Shade Walwyn and Kanika Glasgow of Gingerland Secondary, and Devonne Maynard and Samantha Claxton of Charlestown Secondary were presented with cheques representing the scholarships by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Social Development, Alstead Pemberton.
The award ceremony is annual but students who are selected continue to receive yearly grants until they complete Fifth Form.
Director of Culture Halstead ‘Sooty’ Byron said the fund, which targets children from economically challenged homes, was re-launched last year after a 10- year lapse.
Byron said the fund was established through a collaborative effort by the Nevis Historical Conservation Society (NHCS) and the Ministry of Social Development. He noted that efforts are being made to build an EC$100 000 reserve and next year 20 students from low income families would benefit.
Byron also said the money raised does not go the Consolidated Fund but is held at a special account at the National Bank, Nevis - account number 11330. The account is managed by the Ministry of Social Development and the fund currently stands at EC$12 000. ~~Adz:Right~~
He said performances of students who benefit are monitored and that they [students] continue to do extremely well. Records, he said, show they get between 70 percent and 90 percent in term work exams. Byron also said that the beneficiaries of the fund could attend his out-of-school classes free of charge.
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The awardees with their parents and officials
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The Executive Director, Nevis Historical Conservation, John Guilbert, said if Hamilton was alive he would have identified with the beneficiaries of the fund as he had suffered discrimination as a child. He said Hamilton was not allowed to attend a missionary school because he was born out of wedlock.
Guilbert explained that Hamilton had lived upstairs of what is now the Museum of Nevis. He also declared that the NHCS members had contributed EC$28 000 towards the scholarship fund. He is optimistic that the fund would be boosted to support students wishing to pursue college studies.
The Permanent Secretary, Alstead Pemberton, thanked the NHCS members for their continued partnership with the Nevis Island Administration (NIA), and encouraged the beneficiaries of the fund to work hard to not develop anti-social behaviour.
