The CTO Foundation, the scholarship program of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), is this year granting a record amount in scholarships and grants to assist Caribbean nationals pursuing…
The CTO Foundation, the scholarship program of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), is this year granting a record amount in scholarships and grants to assist Caribbean nationals pursuing tourism/hospitality studies, as well as those seeking to gain proficiency in a second language.
The Foundation is awarding six scholarships and 10 study grants to the tune of US$72,000, the largest amount of funding ever granted since the inception of the scholarship program in 1998.
Scholarships ranging from US$6,000 to US$14,000 – plus airline tickets on American Airlines for those studying in the United States and the United Kingdom – were granted to Amanda Charles of Dominica, Diana Maldonado of the Dominican Republic, Nicole Johnson-Young of Jamaica, Faylene Scrubbs of St. Vincent & the Grenadines, and Jala Bernard and Brent Smith of Trinidad and Tobago.
All six are studying at the Masters level in various tourism related disciplines: Charles is pursuing an MSc in Tourism Administration at George Washington University; Maldonado is completing her MSc in Hospitality Management at Florida International University; Johnson-Young is at Oxford Brooks University for a degree in Hospitality, Leisure and Tourism Management; Scrubbs is attending the University of Surrey for an MSc on Tourism Planning and Development; Bernard is doing her MSc in Human Resource Management for the Tourism and Hospitality Industry at the University of Strathclyde; and Smith is at the University of Surrey for an MSc in Tourism Planning and Development.
The recipients of the study grants are pursuing different levels of certification in tourism/hospitality and proficiency in a second language.
“These are all very deserving candidates whom we are confident will not only make the Caribbean proud, but will make significant contributions to the sustainable development of the region after completing their areas of study,” said Bonita Morgan, the CTO’s director of human resources.
Ms. Morgan explained that the CTO Foundation would have liked to offer even more scholarships because of the number of deserving candidates but sourcing the funding remained a challenge.
She added that the CTO was exploring other scholarship opportunities that the region can tap into, like the Florida Caribbean Scholarship Program and other such opportunities.
“We have a large number of talented people out there whom we would like to grant scholarships opportunities to but the funds are limited. However, we are exploring creative ways to stretch those funds and to secure other scholarship opportunities for Caribbean nationals,” Ms. Morgan stated.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
