Eleven students—ten from Region Three and one from Region Nine —are the latest recipients of the Guyana Shore Base Inc. (GYSBI) Technical Scholarship Programme.
A release from the company yesterday said that the 2024 cohort includes Daniel Bisnauth from Canal No. 2 Polder; Daniel Henry from Karaudarnau Village, Region Nine; and Leanna Woolford from Zeelugt, all of whom will pursue Building and Civil Engineering at the Georgetown Technical Institute (GTI).
Also winning scholarships are Jkwon Alfred of De Kinderen, Astel Ramlall of La Grange, and Denzel Fraser of Goed Intent, each studying Electrical Installation; Tristan Petty of Hague Village, who is pursuing Mechanical Engineering; and Tristan Prince from Patentia, who will do Architectural Drawing. Additionally, Akeia Squires of Crane will study Chemistry, and Feiaaz Ramjag of Belle Village, Canal No. 2, is specializing in Computer Science. Aroon Maniram from Parika Villages is enrolled at the Leonora Technical Institute, where he will pursue Welding and Fabrication.
The release said that this year’s scholarships focused on students from the Essequibo Islands–West Demerara region, as part of GYSBI’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative. This emphasis reflects the company’s continuing involvement in the Gas-to-Energy project in Wales, West Bank Demerara, where it has been executing critical works over the past year. The release said that GYSBI is responsible for Earth, Soil Remediation, and Surcharge activities at the project site.
In keeping with its commitment to give back to the communities in the region, GYSBI expanded the scholarship programme. Initially, ten scholarships were offered, but the company was inspired to award an additional scholarship to Henry, an indigenous student from Region Nine, after he communicated the financial challenges he faced in pursuing his education at GTI.
In a ceremony held at GYSBI, General Manager, Robert Albiez extended congratulations to the awardees, who were chosen out of 50 applicants as he noted that the programme has now become something to be proud of.
“I have been with Guyana Shore Base almost 7 years and in almost all my time here, this is the thing that I am most proud of, that we have put in place. I would like to congratulate [you] young men and women for your accomplishment… it is the things that you do now, the work, the time, and the effort and energy that you put into the things that you are doing today that will determine where you are in 10,15, 20 years, so keep that in mind. I think you are all well on the path,” he said.
The programme is designed to offer internships to successful applicants during their semester breaks so that they can gain valuable hands-on training and knowledge transfer, the release said. At the end of their studies, they can also benefit from the opportunity to be fully employed within the company.
Matthew Seepersaud, a 2023 graduate of the GYSBI Scholar-ship Programme, recently completed his studies in Electrical Installation at the New Amsterdam Technical Institute. During his 7-week internship at GYSBI, his outstanding performance earned him a full-time position in the company’s Maintenance Department, the release disclosed. Meanwhile, the other nine awardees from last year’s cohort have returned to school to continue their studies.
In addressing the new group of scholarship recipients, Seepersaud shared his personal journey, encouraging them to give their best effort, as his experience has proven to be both rewarding and transformative.
“I was placed in the Maintenance Department, specifically Electrical Maintenance. [When I came on, I was introduced to everyone and taken around and] I stood in amazement of the scale of the warehouses and buildings and the diversity of the people working [at GYSBI]. I thought to myself 4 years ago in High School I wouldn’t have even dreamed of being here but there I was. I was an introvert, but this experience contributed to my personal development by improving my self esteem, confidence and communication skills,” Seepersaud said.
Daniel Bisnauth first applied for the GYSBI scholarship in 2023 but was not selected. Undeterred, he reapplied after learning that this year’s programme was specifically targeting students from his region. Now a successful recipient, Bisnauth said that the scholarship will significantly ease the financial burden on 11 families, including his own.
