The Tribune

By FELICITY DARVILLE

WHEN you hear of scholarships for students, they are often allocated for higher education or private institutions. In this case, a unique kind of scholarship offering made it possible for three primary school students to get the assistance they need right where they are – helping parents afford books, school fees, equipment and basic necessities. The scholarships were made available through Global Success Summit, an event that was born in The Bahamas but has blossomed into a platform for leaders across the region.

The recipients were Nathan Walker and Neferatri Lockhart of Garvin Tynes Primary School and Roanna Saintil of Carmichael Primary School. They received scholarship grants which were named in honour of Dr. Myles Munroe, Dr Richard Pinder and Michelle Miller, all who were influential in birthing the idea for the Global Success Summit.

Founder, Hubert Edwards, said the ultimate objective for the summit is to become the premiere leadership, growth and personal development event in the Bahamas and the Caribbean region. From its inception in 2017, Global Success Summit has focused on empowering young people. In 2019, two school tours to Jamaica were conducted and, in collaboration with one of those Jamaican schools, contributions were made to Freeport Primary School to help with restoration due to damages from Hurricane Dorian. The organization also adopted the Dream Chasers Club at CI Gibson High School. Each year, students of CI Gibson were able to attend the event and meet leaders from various fields and professions.

Most recently, the scholarship grants show a continued investment in youth. These awards were supported primarily through the support of corporate sponsors and proceeds from attendees. Grants were made in the sum of $1,500 each.

“Education is the key to unlocking the potential of our youths, especially those who may be faced with financially challenging circumstances,” Edwards explained.

“We are delighted to be able to make a contribution to such a brilliant and humble trio of students. There are many others who can benefit from the small boost that we are able to afford at this time. While we do not have a lot of resources we will continue to leverage our relationships to ensure that this effort is sustained and grows”.

Despite the event being virtual this year with no paying attendees, student scholarships will still be available. Success Summit 2020 will be held on Saturday, December 5, under the theme: “Beyond the Crisis – Leadership Against the Odds”. Edwards will host along with Chervez B with a full slate of summit speakers and panelists covering a range of disciplines, including Damian Blackburn, Nathan Sweeting, Donavon Rolle, Tanya McCartney, Duquessa Dean, Valdez K Russell, Franco Charles, Simmone Bowe, Matt Kinsey, Pollo Prosper and Pastors David Burrows and Mario Moxey.

In 2019 three Bahamians were awarded the Inaugural Hubert Edwards Global Leadership Excellence Award. These were Barry Rassin, Immediate Past President of Rotary worldwide; Ricardo P Deveaux, founder of Primary School Student of the Year Awards Foundation; and Anthony J Longley, director of Toastmasters International. A new award will be presented in honour of L Sydney Saunders.

By connecting students to some of the movers and shakers in various industries, the aim is to give the youth motivation, while sharing practical knowledge and skills.

The first high-flying achiever is Nathan Walker, a sixth grader at Garvin Tynes Primary School. Nathan has been working assiduously on his academic quest as well as sports and extracurricular activities. This youngster exemplifies success beyond self, Edwards said.

“This quality was evident as he reached out and assisted students who joined his school after surviving the Category 5 hurricane Dorian,” he said.

Nathan is on the Vice Principal’s honour roll list and is a role model for his classmates. He is the recipient of the Dr Myles Munroe Memorial Scholarship Grant sponsored by Hubert Edwards Global and Aliv.

At school, he is respected as a senior prefect and the captain of his school’s soccer team, a member of the basketball and the track and field teams. Nathan is also the secretary for Students Christian Movement SCM and a member of Discovery Club, which is the youth arm of the Bahamas National Trust.

Nathan is a thoughtful, ambitious, dedicated and a team player. He believes that “with God there are no limits”, so he continues to stay committed to his goals. In the future, Nathan wants to become a professional soccer player or a sports journalist.

Nefertari Lockhart, a ten-year-old sixth grader at Centreville Primary School is also a scholarship recipient. Nefertari was on the school’s honour roll and vice principal’s list every year while attending Centreville Primary. She has an active school life, making her daily campus patrol as school prefect, taking part in school assemblies or various on-campus competitions. She also reads to students in lower primary and assists grade four students preparing for the “Science Talk” competition. She is involved in numerous extracurricular activities such as the School Prefect organization, Book Club, Spanish Club, School Choir and the Bahamas Girl Guide Association’s Brownies.

Nefertari, whose name means beautiful one, has a big, infectious smile that highlights her outgoing personality, according to her teachers and peers. She is motivated, persistent and hardworking. She really loves reading, and her favourite authors are Mildred D. Taylor, Tonya Duncan Ellis and Jeanne Birdsall. She also enjoys drawing, watching documentaries, knitting and listening to music, which has now sparked her interest in singing.

Nefertari loves spending time with her close-knit family and friends. She has a brother, Khonsu, for whom she is not just a big sister, but a role model. Nefertari is the daughter of loving and supportive parents, Clarice Forbes and Hasheen Lockhart Sr.

The family of Roanna Tiffany Saintil are also happy to have received assistance for her to reach her goals. Roanna was born to Rony and Marie-Ange Saintil and is the first of three children. She has two brothers, Ronnald and Ronnel. She is a ten-year-old student who attends Garvin Tynes Primary school.

Roanna enjoys various activities like swimming, soccer, singing, playing the piano, reading, drawing, writing comic strips, cooking and taking afternoon walks with the family. Sunday worship is an integral part of her weekend.

She is innovative, highly intelligent, and very creative. She tries to never settle for second best as she puts her entire self in all that she does. Roanna has always maintained a 4.00 GPA.

She is described as very positive and persistent and has a pleasant attitude about learning new things. She taught herself how to knit. She has become a Japanese anime artist with the help of technology and has started graphic designing on her first comic strip series -“Wonderlicious Girls.”

She has represented her school at the district spelling bee as well as the Ministry of Education Science Talk Competition and she, along with the team, came first at both district and national levels. Roanna received the highest scores and was awarded both most outstanding competitor and best speaker. She is the first to win the Hubert Edwards Global-Richard Pinder Memorial Scholarship grant.

“Roanna is compassionate, kind and loving,” Edwards said. “She is always looking for opportunities to help others. She is to be commended for being a philanthropist. She enjoys sharing with her classroom. She also finds great pleasure in giving to the Children’s Emergency Hostel and the Salvation Army. She is Chairman of Clothes for the Homeless. At school, she helps younger students with their homework. In short, Roanna is truly a unique, gifted young lady with a vision.”

She is a member in the school choir, the Student Christian Movement, and the NPPPSSA Girls Soccer Team. She is a Deputy Head Girl at Garvin Tynes Primary School. She is a Guardian Level member of the Garvin Tynes Primary Discovery Club Chapter and student vice president of Butterfly Club. She joined both the Junior Red Cross Organization and the Sea Wave Aquatic Team in 2015.

Hubert Edwards Global, a transformational speaking, coaching and mentoring organization, was created to help facilitate others on their personal success journey. Its stated mission is “Promoting the Power of Positive Thinking, in The Pursuit of Ones Greatest Self”.

“At HEG we believe that all persons have immeasurable greatness within and with accurate positive thinking and determined action, the pursuit of greatness is possible. The quest is never ending, but a constant and fulfilling march towards an ever-evolving greater self. Embracing the philosophy of Ubuntu – I am because we are, we advocate the idea of pursuing success, not simply for materialistic acquisitions but within the context espoused by Earl Nightingale “the progressive realization of a worthy ideal”.

“We hold that there is no greater ideal than the desire to become the best version of ourselves.”