Caribbean Tourism Organization gives nearly US$95,000 in scholarships and grants to Caribbean nationals in 2010

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) announced that it would provide nearly US$95,000 in scholarships and grants to over a dozen Caribbean nationals to pursue studies in tourism/hospitality.

The director of human resources, Bonita Morgan, said that over US$27,000 in scholarship funds would go to five students pursuing studies at the masters level at various institutions, while an additional US$66,000 would be given as grants to support another nine students.

“The CTO is steadfast in its commitment to developing the region’s human resource capacity and supporting a well trained, competent, and efficient work force so that the Caribbean tourism sector can attract the best and brightest minds,” said Ms. Morgan.

A former participant in the CTO’s Tourism Youth Congress, Javon Griffith of Barbados has received a US$7500 scholarship to study for his MSc in Air Transport Management. Griffith, who was Barbados’ “Junior Minister of Tourism” at the 27th annual Caribbean Tourism Conference (CTC-27) in Aruba in 2004, will attend Cranfield University in the United Kingdom.

“Winning this award means the absolute world to me. I have had an ardent interest in the tourism industry since 2003, and this award will go a long way to ensuring that I undertake my post-graduate studies at the Cranfield University this fall. Furthermore, it will guarantee that I can play my part with regards to aiding in the future success of the tourism industry in Barbados,” said Griffith, who is one of only 35 students from around the world accepted by the university this year for this course.

Other scholarship winners are Christal Greene of Trinidad & Tobago (MSc in International Hotel & tourism Management at the University of Queensland); Reina Hinds of Barbados (Executive Masters in Marketing & Sales at ESADE Business School in Barcelona, Spain); Kemmie Williams of Guyana (MSc in Tourism & Hospitality Management at the University of the West Indies); and Statia Williams of Trinidad & Tobago (MSc in International Hotel & Tourism Management at Schiller International University in the US). Each of these students has been given a US$5000 scholarship.

In addition to the scholarships, study grants of US$2500 each have been given to successful applicants from Barbados, Curacao, the Dominican Republic; Jamaica, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Their fields of study range from sports, entertainment and events management to hospitality and tourism management. The total amount in scholarships and grants is US$47,500.
Meantime, the CTO is offering a full tuition scholarship, valued at US$46,000, for a Caribbean student to pursue a bachelor’s degree program in hospitality management, over the course of eight semesters of full-time study, at Monroe College in New York, NY, USA ( www.Monroecollege.edu ).

This very generous and unique gesture from Monroe College has been offered to Caribbean students in celebration of Caribbean Week in New York and in recognition of the diverse student body that make up this college, including many Caribbean nationals.

The CTO offers scholarships and grants through its scholarship program, the CTO Foundation, which was set up in 1997, and is registered in New York State as a not-for-profit corporation. The foundation was formed exclusively for charitable and educational purposes and its main aim is to provide scholarships and study grants to students and industry personnel who are Caribbean nationals from CTO-member countries, who wish to pursue studies in the areas of tourism/hospitality and language training. The foundation supports individuals who demonstrate high levels of academic achievement and leadership potential and who express a strong interest in making a contribution to Caribbean tourism.

Since its inception, the CTO Foundation has provided some 60 major scholarships and over 100 study grants totalling over US$700,000. Major CTO Foundation sponsors include American Express, American Airlines, Interval International, Universal Media, the CTO chapters worldwide, and numerous CTO allied members.

Information on the CTO Scholarship Program and a list of scholarship and grant recipients can be found at www.onecaribbean.org .

PHOTO: Monroe College students Matthew Didier, a 2008 bachelor’s degree candidate in business management, and Zareena Xavier, a 2007 bachelor’s degree candidate in computer information systems, both from Roseau, Dominica, help Angelyn Forbes-Freeze, associate director of international programs, center, plan the college’s upcoming recruitment trip to Dominica.