TWO young men — Randre Bennett and Mark Scott — are this year’s proud recipients of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) scholarships, which will help ensure that they complete their tertiary education.

The scholarships were awarded at PwC’s offices in Kingston on November 16.

Bennett, a final-year student at the University of the West Indies (UWI), received a scholarship cheque valued at $220,000 while Scott, a final-year student at the University of Technology (UTech), received a cheque for $160,000.

The awardees were chosen on the basis of academic performance, financial need, career promise, and their performance at an interview.

Colin Maxwell, senior territory partner at PwC, said the accounting firm was fully cognisant of the high level of financial need among some students in universities and were intent on helping at least some of the most needy and brightest among them to realise their tertiary education goals.

“They have had their trials in reaching where they are,” he said of this year’s award recipients. “We believe that we really have to invest in education… What is going to lift our nation out of where we are now? I think ultimately is going to be an educated population.”

The young men are thankful for PwC’s intervention.

“I am very grateful for this scholarship; it will go a far way in covering the majority of my tuition expenses. My family won’t have to worry about financing my education this year,” said Bennett, 21, who plays football as well as cricket for Taylor Hall where he resides on the Mona campus of the UWI.

The Guy’s Hill native and holder of a 3.92 grade point average also does track and field and is treasurer on the hall committee.

Had he not received the financial assistance, Bennett said he faced being given the boot from university.

“It is extremely hard, because I have to be worrying about the payment of my fees, about deregistration. And if you are deregistered you have to sit out that semester so it’s very difficult; very stressing,” he told Career & Education.

“I am extremely grateful, and because of that I would like to offer my services to the company by continuing and enhancing the great work that this company has done,” the former St Mary High and Dinthill Technical High student.

Scott said he was honoured to be one of the recipients of the scholarships.

“Despite challenges along the way… despite physical and other resource limitations, with God, I still managed to stand. Today, I have the privilege of standing as one who has been rewarded for greatness,” he said.

Raised in Frome, Scott attended The Manning’s School where he chose to do business subjects in which he excelled. He was recognised as the highest performer in Westmoreland, having attained distinctions in all eight of his Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate examinations — mathematics, English language, principles of business, principles of accounts, office administration, social studies, biology, and electronic documentation management.

He subsequently earned another eight distinctions at the level of the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations in accounting (units one and two), economics (units one and two), management of business (units one and two), Caribbean studies, and communication studies.

At UTech, he is president of the Accounting Students’ Association, president of the Accounting Seminar, and is on the Dean’s list in the College of Business & Management. He has a grade point average of 3.66.