PRESS RELEASE – THE Chevening Scholarship winners for 2018 were announced yesterday by British High Commissioner to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Mrs Janet Douglas.
Among them are two awardees from St Lucia – Ms Kenisha Jeffrey, a Fire Officer of eleven years who was recently promoted to the rank of Leading Firewoman; and Mrs Lavorne Verdant-Desir who has been involved in the development of youth for over twenty years.
The scholars will be pursuing Masters Degrees in Disaster Management and Resilience at Coventry University; and Impact Evaluation for International Development at the University of East Anglia respectively.
During a special send-off ceremony at her official residence in Barbados, High Commissioner Douglas presented the ten scholars hailing from Barbados, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica, with their Chevening certificates. She was particularly pleased to see an increase in the total number of scholarships awarded to the Eastern Caribbean this year.
Mrs Douglas said, “We made the call in 2017 encouraging professional, ambitious and forward-thinking leaders from across the Eastern Caribbean to apply for Chevening Scholarships. The region responded in kind providing a larger number of quality applicants, and I am very pleased with this outcome.
“The UK remains committed to providing first-rate educational opportunities for future leaders across the Eastern Caribbean, and I encourage interested persons to step forward and apply. You may be sitting here before me next year, preparing to embark on the opportunity of a lifetime.”
The send-off event was also attended by Chevening alumni, well-wishers and a cross section of other students who are headed to the UK to commence studies this September. The event provided a prime opportunity to benefit first-hand from presentations and top tips about student life in the UK.
Applications for 2019 to 2020 Chevening Scholarships are now open until 7 November 2018. Interested persons should apply at www.chevening.org/apply.
The Chevening Scholarships scheme is the global scholarship programme of the British government. The Scholarships are awarded to exceptional individuals with leadership potential, enabling recipients to study one-year Masters Courses in a range of subject areas at UK universities. The Scholarships are funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and aim to support UK foreign policy priorities by creating lasting positive relationships with future leaders, influencers and decision makers.