The Ignite IGL Foundation has awarded scholarships to 10 medical and nursing students at The University of the West Indies (UWI), and bursaries to 22 children of IGL staff members for the 2017/2018 academic year.

The presentations were made at the annual Ignite IGL Foundation Scholarship and Bursary Awards Ceremony on Thursday, September 28, 2017 at Alhambra Inn and saw new students as well as repeat recipients collect awards that will take them through the 2017/2018 academic year.

“Giving back is embedded in our DNA. We started the internal bursaries over two decades ago to reward children of staff members who were performing well in school, and we have kept the programme going as we see great value in rewarding academic excellence and ensuring employee satisfaction,” said Bevon Francis, chairman of the board of directors at IGL Ltd.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Francis noted that IGL has been in business for over 50 years, and is the primary distributor of industrial and medical gases, and the leading distributor of LPG. He said it was a pleasure to renew the scholarships for the existing students and to welcome the new students to the extended IGL family.

“Both nursing and medicine are about service to our people and our country, and our renewal of the scholarships underscores our commitment to educating and empowering first class health care professionals of caregivers,” he said. “Those who are in the profession do so out of a selfless labour of love, and they guard our most vulnerable through sacrifice and compassion. We want to show them we care and we want these youngsters to hold fast to their dreams and focus on their studies without the distraction or concern about how to finance their education.”

The IGL Legacy Scholarship for Nursing and the IGL Razai Azard Rahaman Scholarship for Medicine commenced in 2007 and 2009, respectively, and since then the company has been investing in the next generation of health care professionals.

Since inception, both scholarships have had 18 recipients each, with over $40 million invested altogether. This year’s 10 awardees include two new recipients joining the cadre of IGL Razai Azard Rahaman Scholarship for Medicine, and two added to the IGL Legacy Scholarship for Nursing.

Shemara Rhoden, who was selected among the IGL Razai Azard Rahaman Scholarship for Medicine in 2015, was ecstatic after maintaining her academic performance and being selected to renew her scholarship for the 2017/2018 academic year. The past student of Wolmer’s High School for Girls said she was especially happy to be selected this year as she has witnessed too many students dropping out of school because of financial constraints.

“The scholarship has made life much better for me as it covers my entire tuition for my five years of medical school. The ability to attend school without worrying about being de-registered due to non-payment of tuition is more than amazing,” she shared. “I don’t think I would be able to function at my optimum if I did not receive this scholarship, and I do not want to even consider what my life would be like without it.”

Francis charged the recipients that, “To whom much is given, much is expected. We have made the investment in these students, now we remind them to be committed to their studies and to success.”

The new IGL Razai Azard Rahaman Scholarship for Medicine (2017-2018) awardees are Akil Gardener and Kabrina Martin. Those who by virtue of the performance have maintained their scholarship are Abbygale McIntosh, Taylor McKenzie, Samantha Mosha, and Shemara Rhoden.

The IGL Legacy Scholarship for Nursing (2017- 2018) new awardees are Kenice Frew and Joni Valentine. Renewals were granted to Melonie Allison and Francia Samuels.