PRESS RELEASE
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Tuesday, 25th July, 2017) -Community activist Dr. Terrance Drew, on Sunday 23rd July, presented six (6) primary school graduates of Constituency Eight, recipients of the Dr. Terrance M. Drew Scholarship Award, with their gifts during the third annual ceremony held at the Cayon Community Centre.
For this financial assistance programme, students are chosen by the teachers of their respective schools fitting categories of ‘Most Promising’ and ‘Most Outstanding’.
The 2017 awardees are: Kimmyon Hodge (Most Promising Boy) and Sheniqua Bass (Most Promising Girl) of the Deane-Glasford Primary School; Most Outstanding Student from the Conaree District – Kashara Douglas of the Tucker-Clarke Primary School; Djimon Percival (Most Promising Boy) and Keanna Huggins (Most Promising Girl) of the Cayon Primary School and also Most Outstanding Student from the Conaree District – Kadeja Lewis of the Beach-Allen Primary School.
Dr. Drew expressed that he is “very proud” of the recipients who will go on to continue their academic journey at high school level in the upcoming new school year.
In giving some insight into the scholarship programme, Dr. Drew pointed out that students with promise and potential to do well should always be encouraged.
“I think we must recognise potential. We must not always say who comes first or second. There are some students carrying stars underneath and we have to identify and pull that potential out of them.”
Having received their awards, the scholarship recipients expressed words of gratitude to him for such a helpful gesture.
Speaking to the parents and guardians, Dr. Drew highlighted the significance of the awardees being selected from among their classmates.
He also urged them to do their part in assisting their children to tap into their full potential.
“It means that if the teachers in the schools would have all these students in a class and would sit together to determine who should get the award, it means that they see something in your child. So even if you are doubting that there is something in your child then that erases all doubt in your mind. These are educated people who sat down and decided that your son, your daughter or the child that you are the guardian for has something in them and now therefore you must recognise it and help that child to bring it out in order to reach his or her full potential.”
Dr. Drew acknowledged that for many parents and guardians, buying school supplies and uniform can be very challenging, especially in a case where there are multiple children to provide for.
He went on to say that it is essential that children are properly prepared for school “so that psychologically, you can start putting them in the frame of mind that I am off and ready for school and I am ready for the challenges, of course.”
Dr. Drew, in talking to the children, touched on the importance of hard work and dedication in attaining success in life.
“Nothing that is worth having comes easily. Success is not a destination, it is a journey and a lot of the times we see the glory and we see the achievements but what they fail to show sometimes is the path that they had to travel to get to where they reach and that is what we want you to focus on.”
Additionally, Dr. Drew told the awardees that on the journey for success, punctuality, regular attendance as well as paying full attention in class are key.
“I know you are students and you have your own goals and your number one objective right now is to do well in school. There are times when you would become frustrated when you are studying. You would want to give up; successful people went through these things.”