News
July 16, 2004
Lucky lass can get $270,000 scholarship

Two American women, Rachael Bartels and Anne-Marie Thiel, are offering a Vincentian woman who fits the criteria the opportunity of a lifetime by providing a $270,000 scholarship.
Any Vincentian woman who has or can gain exceptional Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores and pass an admission interview will be given the opportunity to attend the all-female Smith College in Boston, Massachusetts. {{more}}
The scholarship is nicknamed the Bartels-Thiel Scholarship and was announced on Friday, July 9 by Basil Charles, co-founder of the Mustique Educational Trust (MET).
A press release from MET stated that Smith College is one of the most prestigious all-women schools in America whose programmes include the sciences, the classics, business and the humanities.
Said Charles: “This is a very special scholarship. It is available to any Vincentian woman even one as old as me, but any applicant must be up to the standard of Smith.
“They must not only have exceptional SAT scores but also pass admission interviews,” Charles added while commenting, “It is possible that a qualified applicant may not appear this year, but when she does it will be a great day for all of St. Vincent.”
He said that he hopes that on completion of schooling, the chosen graduate can return to St. Vincent to use her knowledge here.
Charles described Bartels and Thiel as two generous Americans, who “were taken by the Vincentian smiles” during their visit here in December 2003. “They felt they wanted to do something in return for the hospitality they received. Bartels and Thiel see great potential in the young women of St. Vincent and recognise that the brightest lights may not have a chance to shine,” said Charles.
Women wishing to be considered for the Bartels-Thiel Scholarship should visit the Smith College web site at www.smith.edu to learn more about prerequisites and entry. Charles said that once an applicant feels that she is qualified, she should contact the MET through him (488-8511).
Bartels and Thiel attended MET’s annual fundraiser, the picnic and t-shirt painting contest, which is the organisation’s primary fundraiser.