Grenadian who received SVG scholarship thanks nation

A young Grenadian woman, who was awarded a university scholarship by the government of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) in 2006, and was this week admitted to practice law before the courts of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique, has expressed her thanks to the government and people of SVG.{{more}}

Twenty-four year old Michelle Shaiba Davidson, the daughter of Cleo Netta Davidson and Michael Davidson of The Bocas Rd. St Paul’s, St Georges, was presented to the court by Ian Sandy on Tuesday.

Davidson had most of her early education in Grenada, but completed her secondary education at the St Joseph’s Convent, Kingstown. In 2004, when Hurricane Ivan devastated her homeland, Davidson returned to St Vincent to attend the St Vincent and the Grenadines Community College, where she excelled and attained five passes at the Cambridge Advanced Level Examinations.

Although she ranked third nationally, not being a Vincentian, Davidson was not eligible for one of the six national scholarships awarded that year.

However, the government of SVG awarded her a full three-year university scholarship in the name of former Governor General of SVG Sir Sydney Gun Munro, who was born in Grenada.

In 2007, Michelle enrolled at the University of the West Indies (UWI) to read for a Bachelor of Laws Degree (LLB). She graduated in 2010 with Upper Second Class Honours.

On completing her Degree, she enrolled at the Hugh Wooding Law School to pursue the Legal Education Certificate and continued the tradition of excellence. In her first year of studies at the Hugh Wooding Law School, Michelle was awarded the Justice Jessel Hannays Prize for the best overall performance in the Law of Remedies, the Kissoon Family Law Prize and the MH Shah Prize for the best overall performance in Legislative Drafting and Interpretation.

At the graduation ceremony of the Hugh Wooding Law School on October 6, she was recognized for her contribution to the law school’s CCJ Mooting Team as the Research Advocate and was honoured by the Grenada Bar Association for having had the best overall performance by a student from Grenada. At this ceremony Davidson was also awarded the highest honour of the Council of Legal Education, the Legal Education Certificate of Merit, having attained at least nine grade ‘As’ out of eleven courses.

Davidson attributes her success to the grace of God and the dedication and support of her parents and family members. She extended “heartfelt gratitude” to Dianne Marshall-Holdip, the Assistant Registrar at the Hugh Wooding Law School; Hal Gollop, the principal Attorney-at-Law at Harford Chambers, Barbados; Ian Sandy; Andrea Patterson; Renee Simmons and the lecturers at the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College and the people and Government of St Vincent and the Grenadines.