For nearly three many years, the American Basis for The UWI (AFUWI) has dedicatedly garnered much-needed monetary assist for the most effective and brightest college students of The College of the West Indies (The UWI). It has honoured the transformational contributions of excellent people within the area and past. The legacy of giving, gratitude, and partnership continued on the twenty seventh Annual Awards Gala on April 18 at Park Avenue, New York Metropolis.
Vice-Chancellor of The UWI, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, dubbed the Gala a possibility to discuss “the worth of gratitude, solidarity, the reason for the general public good, and humanity at its best.” Thanking the AFUWI and its donors, Vice-Chancellor Beckles additionally famous that The UWI maintains its standing within the prime 3% of the best universities on the earth, demonstrating its impression on donors. He stated, “Our College is an elite college due to its confirmed document of excellence, however I ought to hasten to say that it isn’t an elitist college. It’s a college devoted to the general public good, [one which] focuses on lifting the poor and the dispossessed…stands behind these traditionally disenfranchised… is dedicated to justice for all and equality for all. It’s, in each sense, an moral enterprise. After we come earlier than you for assist, we come to you with a efficiency document. Our gratitude is recognised.”
Scholarship recipients Khrisann Russell, a remaining 12 months accounting main on the Mona Campus who acquired the George Willie Scholarship, and Dr. D. Malcolm Brewster, a Dominican native and graduate of The UWI Mona who acquired the Parkland Leisure Scholarship, each shared the cruel realities of monetary challenges. In Dr. Brewster’s case, it was introduced on by the devastation of Hurricane Maria in 2017. He stated, “This scholarship was the primary signal that hope was on the horizon and that out of the womb of trial, trauma, and tribulation, perhaps, simply perhaps, triumph could be born.” Each recipients had been extraordinarily grateful to benefactors and the AFUWI for restoring their desires of a college training. In addition they thanked Jetblue Airways for sponsoring their air journey to New York to take part within the occasion.
Dr. Cyrus McCalla, chair of the AFUWI Board, expressed heartfelt gratitude to our devoted sponsors and donors. He additionally referred to as on the broader diaspora, emphasizing their essential position in offering training alternatives. By remaining vigilant and anxious, they may also help many college students break the cycle of poverty, benefiting not simply themselves and their households, but additionally the area and the world.
The 2024 distinguished honourees embody Irfaan Ali, President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, receiving The Legacy Award, the gala’s highest honour. His Excellency, himself a UWI alumnus, responded with gratitude to The UWI for its position in shaping regional leaders. He additionally used the platform to focus on the pressing plight of Haiti, pledge Guyana’s prosperity to regional improvement, and decide to continued partnership with The UWI.
He stated, “I consider that we should worth extra who we’re, what we produce, what we personal—we personal The College of the West Indies. For that reason, as Guyana tries to construct a world-class training and healthcare system, we have now determined to include a medical college with the primary degree 5 hospital we’ll construct. And that medical college can be The College of the West Indies Medical College.” Referencing Guyana’s Gold scholarship programme with its over 345 programmes, from 19 universities, serving over 30,000 college students, H.E. Dr. Ali additionally famous that within the final three years, 2,229 graduates have come from The UWI with 659 at the moment enrolled. He stated this can be a “testimony to partnership” and referred to as on the area to seek out extra progressive methods to incentivize research at The UWI.
Additionally awarded had been Donald Christian of PriceWaterhouseCoopers – Caribbean Luminary Award; Michele Chow-Tai of Fairview Capital Companions – The Vice-Chancellor’s Achievement Award; Antony Mark Desnoes Hart, Chairman of Caribbean Producers, Jamaica – The Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Enterprise Management & Group Engagement; The Hart Group – the Company Award for Enterprise Excellence; Reverend Patrick Perrin, retired Pastor of United Methodist Church buildings in Brooklyn and Queens – The Pelican Award; and Darren Skinner, Esq., Accomplice at Arnold & Porter – The Pinnacle Award. Perrin and Skinner are additionally graduates of The UWI.
Within the spirit of gratitude, the gala paid tribute to the invaluable contributions of the late Marcia Erskine, who served committedly and passionately on the planning committee, and to the late Dr. The Hon. Harry Belafonte, who served as honorary gala patron. Each of them had been related to the occasion for over twenty years.
The AFUWI Profit Gala, our flagship fundraising occasion, has had a profound impression on the lives of UWI college students. Over the previous decade, greater than 600 deserving college students have been in a position to pursue their training at The UWI, because of the schooling scholarships funded by the Gala’s proceeds.
