Eleven students from eight regions here have been awarded Guyana Shore Base Inc. (GYSBI) technical scholarships.
A release from GYSBI said that the students include Venola Allen from Warapoka Village, Region One, and Nesa Griffith of St. Deny’s Mission, Region Two, who will be pursuing a Diploma in Computer Science and a Diploma in Data Operations respectively at the Essequibo Technical Institute.
Daniel Jacobs, Samara Ganesh, Compton Gomes, Jadan Whyte and Shania De Groot, will all be pursuing studies at the Government Technical Institute in the areas of Building and Civil Engineering (three persons), Land Surveying and Electrical Engineering, while Kerryann Johnson from Wisroc, Region Ten will be pursuing a Diploma in Welding and Fabrication at the Linden Technical Institute.
The release added that Vick Darbarrie of Crane Village, Region Three who is studying at the Leonora Technical Institute, and Jacinth Wilson from Perse-verance, Mahaicony a student of the Mahaicony Technical Institute both won scholarships to pursue Welding while Matthew Seepersaud from Nigg Settle-ment, Region Six will be doing a Diploma in Electrical Engineering at the New Amsterdam Technical Institute.
Three of the 11 scholars are children of GYSBI staff members who applied and met the criteria.
In a ceremony held recently to hand over the first tranche of financial support, Executive Director of GYSBI, Robin Muneshwer congratulated the awardees who were chosen out of a total of 300 applicants.
“I want to tell you that at GYSBI, we do not start jobs, we start careers. That is what you will be doing here, starting your career. You are going to these Institutes, but these Institutes will not be able to teach you everything. The discipline that you place on your work, your attitude, the pride that you get out of your work, there is no dollar figure to that. That must come from within. The money will follow you, don’t worry about that. It’s what you translate your talent into that will count. That is your intrinsic ability that no training can do,” he urged.
Rabin Chandarpal, GYSBI’s Deputy General Manager told the awardees: Do not waste this opportunity, grab it with both hands, be curious, be hard working and the future will be yours. Guyana is going places so don’t be watchers or bystanders, be part of it, be beneficiaries of it and your future will be bright”.
Compton Gomes who hails from Paramakatoi, Region Eight, shared that as a student from a rural indigenous community with poor and limited infrastructure, he was motivated to pursue Building and Civil Engineering at the Government Technical Institute.
“It is my wish to give back to my community in the planning, designing and construction of projects such as much needed roads but regardless of what projects I find myself working on in the future, it would give me great pleasure to contribute to national development at such a crucial time in Guyana’s history. My parents, like most in my rural village, are of limited means and could not afford my studies so I see this scholarship as a big relief,” he said.
Kerryann Johnson, who is a young female student in the Welding Programme at the Linden Technical Institute, was visibly elated as she noted that, “the morning I was called and told that I was selected as a recipient, I was and still (am) overwhelmed with joy. I am so pleased and will forever be grateful for this opportunity given by GYSBI. I am very passionate about becoming one of Guyana’s best female welders and GYSBI has given me the chance to gain more knowledge and experience to be the best within this field”, she said.
The GYSBI Technical Scholarship initiative, which was launched this year, will cover expenses such as travel, uniforms, study materials, registration, and examination fees for all awardees, the release stated.
The programme is also designed to offer internships to successful applicants during their semester breaks so that they can gain valuable hands-on training and knowledge transfer. At the end of their studies, they can also benefit from the opportunity to be fully employed with the company.
