Since 1996, the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands has increased its commitment to the territory’s youth and, this year, foundation officials announced that the 75 scholarships awarded at ceremonies this week on St. Thomas and St. Croix will allow V.I. students to head off to colleges ranging from Yale to American University.
Some of the scholarships are part of two-to-three year commitments made by various organizations, businesses or individuals that have established funds under CFVI, which help to pay for college expenses such as textbooks.
The 75 scholarships total $196,390 and are put toward students studying everything from biology to music.
This year CFVI introduced a few new scholarships, including the Milan and Aliki Glumidge Hospitality and Culinary Arts Scholarship and, for the second year, the Kimberly Brin Memorial Award to an All Saints Cathedral School graduate who demonstrated outstanding leadership and involvement in academics and extracurricular activities.
Along with 70 academic scholarships for high school students, two graduate scholarships totaling $6,000 and two enrichment scholarships to high school students totaling $3,500 are also included in the final count.
"We really have to thank the young people for their persistence, their patience and their commitment to their education because we know that’s what it took to get you to today," CFVI President Dee Baecher-Brown said at Friday’s award ceremony on St. Thomas.
"Every year this is exciting for us because we’re welcoming a new cohort of CFVI ambassadors, and when we look at you coming in and coming up to get your scholarships, it’s such as great example of the rich talent in our community, thanks to the commitment you young people have made to your education and to your future," she added.
Alda Monsanto, who described herself as the "longest living member" of CFVI’s board, also spoke of the students’ desires to further themselves through higher education.
"You are children of promise, you have come this far, you have made moves to get to a higher level of education and to a career, and you are working to fulfill that promise you have made to yourselves, your parents and your community," Monsanto said. "Being a part of this and seeing so many young people here, it makes us feel good. It makes it worthwhile to be a part, and to have been a part, of this."
Baecher-Brown also announced the launch of the foundation’s Scholarships Alumni Project, which allows past and present scholarship recipients to keep in touch with the foundation and provide updates on what they have been, or are, doing.
"We want you to keep connected," Baecher-Brown told the students. "Tell us the good things you’ve been doing and help us grow."
Since 1996, CFVI has awarded close to $2 million in scholarships and awards.
