Twelve students who were successful at the 2020 Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA), have been awarded scholarships from the General Employees’ Co-operative Credit Union Limited (GECCU). The ceremony was held on Thursday September 30, 2021 at the credit union’s conference room.

The awardees of merit scholarships are Mikayla Durrant, Kira Murray, Shazara James, J’Dira Regis, Micah Williams-Jack, Korey James, Raeheem Trotman, Luke Duncan, Evan Rouse and Nathan Warrick. Warrick is a former student of the Owia Primary School, who was directly impacted by the eruptions of La Soufriere in April of this year. Lamont Gregg and Shania Bynoe were awarded the Northern and Southern Grenadines Scholarships, respectively.

The students will receive full seven year scholarships valued at $1,600.00 annually from form 1 – 3 and $1,800 annually from form 4 – Community College. In addition to the presentation of scholarships, 142 students were awarded one-off cash bursaries valued at $150.00 each to assist with the purchase of school supplies.

In his brief remarks, chairman of the Scholarship Committee, Ronnie Daniel, congratulated the students on their exceptional performance amidst the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and the eruption of La Soufriere Volcano.

“The fact that you have excelled despite the myriad challenges to education during the last two or so years, says something about who you are and the quality you are made of,” he said.

Daniel also made an impassioned plea to the scholars to give back to their society by volunteering in their communities and the nation as a whole.

In a pre-recorded message to the scholars, Shane Cadougan, a past GECCU scholar and National Scholar who is studying pre-medicine at Stanford University in the USA, advised the recipients to accept and enjoy the new challenges and experiences that they will face as these are all a part of the journey.

Cadougan who recently represented St. Vincent and the Grenadines at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, shared the following tips with the scholars: “Try to make an agenda, reading for at least 15 minutes a day and never being afraid to ask questions and have an input in a respectful way; be punctual and always be ready to face new challenges, these are useful habits which you should take through secondary school.”

In delivering words of appreciation on behalf of the recipients, Mikayla Durrant, a former student of the Kingstown Preparatory School, who placed 6th for girls and 10th overall, said she was “exceedingly honoured to be a recipient of one of GECCU’s scholarship awards”. She highlighted that, “So many students and parents feel hopeless at the thought of the financial burden incurred by secondary education and not being able to afford it”, and expressed how “incredibly grateful” she was to GECCU for “eliminating despair for the parents.” She added that “GECCU’s investment in the future is a great asset to the world”, and thanked the credit union for providing a “financial cradle for students as they venture into the world of secondary education.”

In her remarks, GECCU’s President, Cecelia J. Williams said that the credit union is looking forward to “Great things from this group of scholarship awardees.” She pledged the credit union’s continued commitment to the development of the nation’s young minds.

GECCU’s Scholarship Programme was established in 1981. Over the last five years, the credit union has disbursed $994,000 in scholarships and bursaries. Currently, there are 83 GECCU scholars attending secondary and tertiary level institutions, throughout St. Vincent and the Grenadines.