ANYA Schnoor, executive vice-president for the Caribbean, Central America and Uruguay at Scotiabank, has charged its latest cohort of The University of the West Indies (UWI) scholarship recipients to maximise opportunities to realise their full potential and to make positive contributions to enhancing the lives of generations to come.

Speaking at The University of the West Indies 2021 Scotiabank Awards Ceremony held virtually recently, Schnoor reiterated the bank’s commitment to investing in the communities that it serves and its dedication to making a meaningful and positive contribution to the people of the region.

She urged both the new students and former scholarship recipients to answer the call when the opportunity arises to support their communities in the future. “As community members we all share a common responsibility to support in whatever way and through whatever means we can,” she said.

Jamaican scholarship recipient Issac Dunkley has accepted that challenge and during the awards ceremony expressed his gratitude saying, “For my entire life, I have wanted to become a doctor and I did everything to prepare myself for that. The only challenge I had was the payment of my tuition. I have received the blessing of a lifetime and I thank God for that. I also thank kind-hearted sponsors like Scotiabank who make it possible for students like me to achieve.” Dunkley’s story went viral on social media after he was unable to secure a place in the UWI Department of Medicine, despite having an impressive academic record.

In 2019, Scotiabank expanded its partnership with the UWI and has committed an additional CAD$225,000 over the next five years towards the programme, providing 15 additional scholarships per annum. During the scholarship ceremony, Schnoor announced a further donation of CAD$10,000 to provide new laptops for students in need of devices to support their learning.

Professor Dale Webber, principal of the Mona Campus, said that “COVID has been a great challenge and over the past few months we have seen the evidence of the [good] preparation of our students. Our future is secure because we have a cadre of young, talented professions who have shown that they have what it takes to make a difference.”

“We want to thank the UWI Toronto Gala and indeed Scotiabank for their support of our students and their dreams for a number of years. Their support has helped to secure our future and that of our region,” Webber added.

As a leading bank in the Caribbean, Scotiabank has a long history of supporting the UWI and for the past 12 years has been the lead sponsor for the UWI Gala hosted annually in Toronto. It seeks to raise funds for scholarships for tertiary students in the region.

The Scotiabank scholarships are available to Caricom nationals who are pursuing full-time undergraduate programmes at UWI campuses in Trinidad, Jamaica, Barbados as well as through its open campus programme.

Eligible students must be entering at least the second year of their BSc degree programme in the faculties of Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Humanities & Education & Social Sciences.