SANDALS Resorts International (SRI) Management Trainee Christopher Boyce is the 2015 recipient of the Ana Alvarez-Holmberg Scholarship.

The 28-year-old Boyce, who hails from Heywoods in St Peter, in Barbados, is the first Caribbean national to be presented with this prestigious award.

The Ana Alvarez-Holmberg scholarship is offered jointly by the Minnesota Chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI-MN) and the Twin Cities chapter of the American Society of Training and Development (ATD-GTC).

Like Boyce, who holds a certified associate in project management certificate from the Project Management Institute (PMI-CAPM), eligible candidates for this scholarship must either be a member in good standing with PMI-MN or ATD-GTC, or be sponsored by a member in good standing with either of these organisations.

“The committee’s decision is based on statements and information provided by the candidates and their references, as well as candidate interviews, and after careful review, the joint PMI-MN and ATD-GTC selection committee concluded that Christopher exemplified the many attributes of community volunteerism that the committee looks for,” said Chris Doyle, director of outreach for PMI-MN.

“Christopher contributes his skills to community activities on his own and through his employer. He has been described as thoughtful, enthusiastic and a person who is providing a positive impact to the Caribbean community. As such, it is certainly with pleasure that the PMI-MN and ATD-GTC confers this 2015 award of the Ana Alvarez-Holmberg Scholarship on Christopher,” Doyle added.

Boyce, who also holds a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering, is currently enrolled in the intensive Management Trainee Programme at SRI, the Caribbean’s Leading Luxury-included resort company. His enrolment in the programme has set Boyce’s career on a positive growth trajectory towards becoming a project manager in the near future and in the short term, a chief engineer at one of the Sandals/Beaches properties in the Eastern Caribbean.

Being a part of the programme has also exposed Boyce to the philanthropic work of SRI, through the Sandals Foundation for which he has acted as project lead on several occasions.

Asked how he felt about receiving the Ana Alvarez-Holmberg scholarship, Boyce noted that he is ‘extremely excited’.

“This scholarship will definitely assist me in attaining my Project Management Professional certification. I believe my volunteerism, both in my personal and work lives, played a pivotal role in PMI-MN and ATD-GTC’s decision in awarding me this scholarship,” said Boyce.

Meanwhile SRI Progammes Manager Mark Pike, said SRI is extremely proud of Boyce.

“The Sandals Management Trainee Programme gives promising young talents an opportunity to engage in learning experiences that go beyond building competence, but also caring and character as it is caring and character that will allow them to be resilient and positive towards the on-coming uncertainties of the future,” Pike said. “We [SRI] create these opportunities for our management trainees through scholarships, community challenge projects, multiple rotations, and exposure to islands outside of their home territory.”