2002 Awardees
Abaco Pathfinders’ Scholarship Foundation has had a successful fundraising year. This has been due to the generosity of local residents and businessmen and visitors to our islands. Our fundraising campaigns culminated with the April 6th raffle drawing and Ronnie Butler concerts. We are pleased that these efforts will allow us to continue our support of the partial scholarships awarded to last years' ten students. We will also be able to help finance the education of ten new students for the coming school year. The selection of these students was very difficult because there were so many outstanding and meritorious applicants. After the application review process and the personal interviews, Pathfinders' scholarship committee made the following selections:
Benita Altidor, daughter of Mercilia McPhee of Marsh Harbour, is a 1999 graduate of Abaco Central High School. Since graduation, she has been working at Scotia Bank, saving her money to further her education. She will be studying nursing at Dade Community College in Miami, Florida.
Louise Ashail is a 200l graduate of Abaco Central High School. She is the daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Marcel Sawyer of Hope Town. Since graduation, she has been working as a waitress and baby-sitting to save her money to go to Brevard Community College in Florida. She hopes to become a medical assistant.
Samantha Gaitor, a 1998 graduate of Abaco Central and of Bahamas Technical Institute in 1999, has been working for Agape Family Dental Centre in Marsh Harbour since 2000. It is her work there that inspired her to want to become a certified dental hygienist. She will study at Broward Community College in Florida. She is the daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Harold Gaitor of Moore's Island.
Vashti Lachhman, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Baldeo Lachhman of Fox Town, is a 1999 graduate of S.C. Bootle High School in Coopers Town. She is presently attending Hunter College in New York City, along with her older sister, Shivani. She is studying psychology and biology.
Erika Lowe, of Green Turtle Cay, will be a 2002 graduate of Forest Heights Academy. She has been accepted at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida and plans to study psychology and education. She is the daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Scott Lowe.
Brock Pinder will graduate from Forest Heights Academy this year. He plans to go into primary education and will begin his schooling at Palm Beach Community College in Florida. He is the son of Buddy Pinder of Marsh Harbour.
Theresa Pinder will be a 2002 graduate of Forest Heights Academy and is the daughter of Theresa Pinder of Marsh Harbour and Simeon Pinder of Nassau. She plans to attend Rutgers University in New Jersey and will study journalism.
Marsha Sands, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Darvin Sands of Man-O-War Cay, will graduate from Forest Heights Academy this year. She will prepare for a career in secondary education while attending Palm Beach Atlantic College in Florida.
Kenneth Strachan graduated from S.C. Bootle High School in 1998 and then attended the College of the Bahamas until 2000. He has since been attending full time at McGill University in Canada, majoring in biology, while working part time for a doctor in Montreal. Kenneth has been selected as the recipient of the Buddy and Kay Smith Scholarship, which is administered by Pathfinders. He is the son of Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Adderley of Fire Road.
Priscilla Weatherford is a 2001 graduate of Forest Heights Academy and is the daughter of Pastor and Mrs. Robinson Weatherford of Marsh Harbour. She plans to attend Florida Pensacola Christian College where she will study commercial writing and computer science.
These students were selected on the basis of academic preparedness, motivation and investment in their own education, realistic goals and financial need. We are very proud that of last years’ scholarship recipients, all but one (who, unfortunately, became quite ill) will be returning to school.
A reception honoring this year's recipients willl be held June 2 at the Hope Town Harbour Lodge. Some of last years’ scholarship winners will also attend to celebrate the completion of their first year.