The Tribune

THE fifth annual Scholar Athlete of the Year Scholarship and Awards ceremony, presented by Grand Bahama Sports and Travel, will be held 4pm on Sunday, May 5 at the Bahamas Union of Teachers Hall, Wildcat Avenue.

This year will be very emotional but special, as it will take place against the sudden passing of its co-founder Marjorie Laing at the age of 51.

Laing, 51 years-old, passed away unexpectantly at 2:55am on Monday, September 3 in the trauma room of the Grand Bahama Health Service, Grand Bahama.

Marjorie’s death left her family, church and friends stunned that someone so full of life could be gone so quickly.

Married for 28 years, Marjorie and Buster were blessed with two children Gabrielle and Gabriel.

“Her heart was filled with overflowing love so much that she received great joy in sharing her love and possessions with others in her own simple way, not for her name to be mentioned, not for the camera and the lights,” according to her husband Buster Laing, co-founder of the Scholar Athlete of the Year awards programme.

“Just to know that she was a blessing in somebody’s life including the Scholar Athlete of the Year Scholarship awards for Primary and High school student athletes.”

The Scholarship committee wants to ensure that she will always be remembered for involvement in the scholarship programme by naming the awards in her honour - The Marjorie J Laing Scholar Athlete of the Year Awards. Her legacy will continue to live on in lives of the hundreds of student athletes as the event will now bear her name – and will carry her extraordinary vision into the future. Since its inception, the Annual Grand Bahama Sports and Travel Scholar-Athlete Awards Programme and Banquet has honoured over 160 outstanding graduating senior student athletes in Grand Bahama.

The SAOTY Programme has awarded over $17,000 in scholarships to 16 student-athletes across the island.

The term “student athlete” recognises the importance of being a student first with athletic endeavours second. These athletes are role models who demonstrate a commitment to excellence in the classroom and field or court of play.

Each school has the opportunity to nominate two students from their school as Scholar Athlete of the Year Awards recipients...the best of the best and very qualified students.

About the Award:

Finalists for the GBST Scholar-Athlete Scholarship Programme will be announced in February.

The finalists will attend the ceremony not knowing who the male and female scholar-athletes of the year will be. This is the fifth year of the programme, which has now awarded a total of $17,000 to 20 outstanding student athletes from the Grand Bahama area.

To be eligible for the Scholar Athlete of the Year award student-athletes must prove both academic and athletic excellence by obtaining a 2.75 overall grade point average (GPA) or 68.75 per cent, by being a starter or significant reserve for their team in at least two sports sanctioned by the GBPSAA and the GBSSAA.

The following are the past winners of the Grand Bahama Sports.com Scholar-Athlete:

2018 Winners

High School Scholar-Athlete of the Year ($1,000 each):

McKell Bethel (Jack Hayward)

Julia Tychoniewicz-Mellor, Lucaya International

Primary School Scholar-Athlete of the Year ($500 each):

Terriontee Martin (Freeport Gospel)

Jaynae Pinder (Sunland Baptist)

Primary School Runners up ($250 each)

Quinton Gordon, Walter Parker

Takeithra Hanna, Walter Parker

(High School Runners up ($500 each):

Desmond Butler (Tabernacle)Jamiela Miller-Robins, St. George’s

2017 Winners

High School Scholar-Athlete of the Year ($1,000 each):

Mateo King (St. Georges)

Altavia Hall (Tabernacle Baptist)

Primary School Scholar-Athlete of the Year ($500 each):

Reginae Bastian (Sunland Baptist)

Erich Fischbacher (Bishop Michael)

High School Runners up ($500 each):

Jaylen Pinder (Mary Star)/Holland Martin (Tabernacle)

Carlie McBrayer (Lucaya International)

Primary School Runners up ($250 each)

Phoebe Wilson (LIS)

Dylan Glinton (FGCS)

2016 Winners

High School Scholar-Athlete of the Year ($1,000 each):

Kaleel Solomon (Sunland Baptist)

Kyanti Dixon (Mary Star)

Primary School Scholar-Athlete of the Year ($750 each):

Mateo Smith (Tabernacle Baptist)

Lenique Rolle (Freeport Primary)

2015 Winners

High School Scholar-Athlete of the Year ($1,000 each):

Angelo Dames (Jack Hayward High)

Satori Curry (Eight-Mile Rock)

Primary School Scholar-Athlete of the Year ($750 each):

Adari Grant (Sunland Baptist)

Cassidra Thompson (Lewis Yard)