The academic excellence of junior savers with The City of Bridgetown Cooperative Credit Union Limited (COB) was yesterday rewarded when it presented scholarships the top achievers in the COB Cares Maxine McClean Scholarship Programme.
More than 50 children who would have performed well in the Common Entrance, Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) and tertiary level examinations received prizes in addition to some who qualified for the COB Cares Creativity and Industry Awards.
The scholarship programme, started in 2007, has so far disbursed more than $250 000.
Two past recipients, Alaina Parris and Shaliyah Wood, shared how winning the scholarships had helped them.
Parris said it was not only used to cover expenses for her transition from fifth to sixth form at Queen’s College, but having her hard work and academic achievements acknowledged by COB was a motivator to work harder to achieve results every year to be eligible for further awards.
She said considering the costs of university study, having access to such scholarships would allow students to “focus fully on your school studies rather than having to worry about the financial costs associated”.
Wood said being awarded a scholarship motivated her to continue to strive for greater things in life and also to aim for a Barbados Scholarship.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Senator Maxine McClean, a former president of the COB Credit Union after whom the programme is named, highlighted the need for volunteerism and people helping others as two of the key pillars on which the movement was based.
McClean called for a scholarship arrangement through which COB would undertake to promote and reward community and youth involvement by establishing a distinguished service award or volunteer of the year award.
“I would like to see organized activity where the members come together as young people to identify areas in Barbados in which they can give of their time and talent because to whom much is given, much is expected,” McClean said. (LK)
