Students, continue to strive for the best – PSU

Students were urged to strive for the best this week, when they were awarded with scholarships and bursaries by the Public Service Union (PSU).{{more}}

Five students were awarded with scholarships, while 10 received bursaries from the union on Tuesday, during a ceremony at the PSU Headquarters at McKie’s Hill.

In his address, president of the PSU Cools Vanloo noted that the union has always made provisions to offer scholarships to members’ children.

Vanloo encouraged the 2013 recipients to always strive to do their best.

“The road to success is filled with quite a lot of failure,” he said.

“It’s not so much failing that matters; it’s what you do with that failure”.

The president also noted that students must understand that learning is a lifelong process.

“It does not stop with the passing of a single examination…because life is about living and life is about succeeding and when I say succeed, I don’t mean succeed only academically, but succeed in all aspects and all areas.

Vanloo, who has been an educator for most of his life, stated that one’s greatest failure is the failure to use knowledge that you have accumulated.

“Knowledge only has value when it can be put to use,” he said.

“Young people, while you go about learning and acquiring knowledge, what you ought to do is see how you can use that knowledge for the betterment of yourself…of your family…of your community, for your school and for the nation as a whole”.

Guest speaker Vinron Benjamin, who was a scholarship recipient in 2005, told students that they have been given an opportunity that many persons are not given, which is to attend a secondary school.

Benjamin used his mother as an example of someone who did not have a secondary education, but ensured that her children did not suffer the same fate.

Furthermore, he encouraged the students to always put their best foot forward and never settle for less than the best.

“Don’t take education lightly,” he cautioned.

“Whatever you hope to be, you won’t get there simply by thinking about it or merely hoping that it would just happen to you. You have to work towards it”.

Leroy James, first vice president of the PSU, echoed the sentiments of Vanloo and Browne, as he told students to make good use of their scholarships and make their parents proud.

“I’m always happy when this time comes around,” he said.

“I’m always glad when we can make a contribution in our young people. It is my desire that you will use this opportunity given to you for the betterment of your self.”

The five students that were awarded scholarships are Latique Browne, Khadawn Bibby, Shakira Peters, Jayden Bissessar and Gabriel Fraser/Frederick.(BK)