BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, May 15, 2023 (MMS-SKN) — A member of the education fraternity is hailing the role being played by the St. Kitts Nevis Anguilla Trading and Development Company (TDC) Limited in promoting cohesion and philanthropy among members of the society through its Warren C. Tyson Memorial Scholarship Programme.
The TDC Group of Companies, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary under the theme ‘Your Neighbour, Your Partner, Your Future’, has launched as part of the anniversary celebrations a ‘Warren C. Tyson Memorial Scholarship Public Primary Schools Tour’ to showcase its longstanding academic excellence initiative.
The tour, which kicked off on Monday, April 24, has inductees of the Warren C. Tyson Memorial Scholarship Programme visiting public primary schools, most likely their Alma Mater, where they talk to the students about the benefits they received going through high school as scholarship holders.
“I want to thank TDC for such an endeavour (the Warren C. Tyson Memorial Scholarship
Programme) because sometimes students have the ability but the finances aren’t there,” said the Principal of the Tucker Clarke Primary School Mr Devon Harris on Friday, May 12, after a former scholarship holder, Mr Chad Kelly, made a presentation to the students at the school’s morning assembly.
“With TDC pushing such a venture, it provides them with an opportunity now where they can get the education that they need and make a difference in their societies, sometimes even in their community because students from the school who receive the scholarship come back to give,” said Mr Harris. “So it changes the mindset of the individual as well, and it helps them understand what philanthropy is and makes them want to give back to their society as well.”
Mr Chad Kelly, though the Tucker Clarke Primary School is not his Alma Mater, received his scholarship from the TDC in 1996. He attended the Irish Town Primary School. He is responsible for business operations in St. Kitts and Antigua for Caribbean Lottery, working out of St. Kitts but travelling to Antigua at least four times a year.
In his presentation to the students, Mr Kelly explained to them how one qualifies for the scholarship and the benefits one receives as a scholarship holder during their stay in high school and the Sixth Form, now the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC). He presented a TDC Gift Card valued at $500 which is redeemable at any TDC Retail Store in St. Kitts and Nevis to help support the school’s academic programmes.
The previous day, Thursday, May 11, another of the TDC Warren C. Tyson Memorial Scholarship Programme alumni, Mrs Andrea Seaton-Richards, had made a presentation to Grade Three, Four and Five pupils of the Irish Town Primary School at their temporary site at the former Venezuelan Institute in Greenlands. The other temporary sites for the school are at the Olivet Gospel Hall on Malone Avenue, and at the Church of God of Prophecy at the corner of Central Street and Westbourne Street in Basseterre.
The presenter, while the school is not her Alma Mater, works at the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank as a Senior Economic Statistician. She told the students that she attended the former Basseterre Girls School and advised them that it was later merged with the Basseterre Boys School to make the Beach Allen Primary School.
The students were excited when she mentioned that every school year a scholarship holder would get $750 in school supplies, for their school books, and school uniforms.
“Once you become an awardee, you will be assigned a mentor from TDC, somebody to guide you, to help you, to teach you, to show you the right ways, to tell you what to do and what not to do,” she said. “One of the things they do as well at TDC is that each year, they would take you on a tour, an educational tour or outing, to help you to learn about other things and other places here in St. Kitts and Nevis.”
Welcoming Mrs Andrea Seaton-Richards was Ms Tamia Martin, one of the Grade Four teachers at the school, who thanked the presenter after she presented the school with a TDC Gift Card valued at $500, which she promised will be put into proper use so as to benefit the students.
“Some of the other scholarship holders are lawyers, some of them are doctors, some of them are business persons, and teachers,” said Mrs Seaton-Richards in conclusion. She however surprised the students when she told them: “One of them is even the Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, he was a scholarship student as well – would you believe that?”
The students shouted in unison “No!” even as they talked excitedly in hushed voices and said that they too would wish to be TDC Warren C. Tyson Memorial Scholarship Programme holders.