GECCU Scholarships given to seven diligent students

Seven students who aced the 2010 Common Entrance (CE) examinations were the proud recipients of scholarships from the General Employees Co-operative Credit Union (GECCU) on Wednesday of this week.{{more}}

The scholarships were handed over at the 8th Annual Scholarship Awards Ceremony 2010 at the Methodist Church Hall and held under the theme: “Follow your dreams”.

The scholarships were awarded to the top three boys and top three girls in the 2010 Common Entrance (CE) Exam who applied for the credit union’s scholarships. They are: Abigail Scott of the St Mary’s Roman Catholic School, who placed first for girls and first overall in the Common Entrance; Andreka Samuel of the Rose Hall Government School, who came 2nd for girls and third overall; Thandi Myers of the Windsor Primary School who placed 3rd for girls and 5th overall; Addison Edwards of the Belmont Government School who placed 3rd for boys and fifth overall; Jalon Scott from the St Mary’s Roman Catholic School placed 6th for boys and 10th overall and Jaris Farrell, also of the St. Mary’s Roman Catholic, who came in 7th for boys and 14th overall.

Faraji James of the Stephanie Browne Primary School in Union Island was the lone student from the Grenadines to have been awarded a scholarship.

Scholarship holders will receive $1,400 from forms one to three, with that figure being increased to $1,600 from fourth form to the end of their local post-secondary education.

Sharing brief remarks, newly elected president of GECCU, Philmore Isaacs, beseeched the students to apply themselves to their school work in order for them to be successful. He further stressed the need for students to be determined and have the mind frame to work hard for what they want.

Delivering a motivational speech, past GECCU scholar Jo-Ann Marshall told the students to follow their dreams, but to first make sure that they feel comfortable in what they do.

A national scholar, Marshall urged the youngsters not to measure their success by their position at the end of each term. “Success brings pressure…success can be measured by whether or not you are giving of your best in school,” she added.

The soft-spoken 21 year-old urged the students to strive for academic excellence so that they can attract scholarships and even be in a position to be financially secure in the future.

“Don’t see yourself as limited. Simply because of the fact you are here proves that you have put your best foot forward, and now a world of opportunity is open to you,” she stated.

Ministry of Education representative, Carlton Hall, expressed appreciation to GECCU for the continued partnership with the Ministry of Education.

Stating that failure is not an option when scholarships and bursaries are given, Hall told the students that the scholarships should be seen as an investment for their future. “…Failure is not an option. You have to think this way, because repeating a form is never a good thing.”

Coming out of the 147 applicants for GECCU scholarships this year, 143 students were successful at the examinations: 79 girls and 64 boys.

Despite scholarships not being afforded to every successful student, bursaries of $100 were awarded to 136 others who were successful in the exam.

Sharing some background information on GECCU, Chairperson of the Scholarships Committee, Marva Cato-Robinson, said since its inception in 1981, the Union has given 143 scholarships.

Thirty schools’ co-operatives were also sponsored and expenses for last year ran over $108,000 in education.

Currently, there 45 GECCU scholarship holders in school. (KW)