A partnership between the American Caribbean Maritime Foundation (ACMF) and Royal Caribbean International (RCI) has resulted in two Bahamian nationals receiving full scholarships to study at the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) in Kingston, Jamaica.
Tre’von Ferguson and Shante Pearson were presented with the scholarship award at a ceremony held on board the Royal Caribbean “Symphony of the Seas” (the largest Oasis-class cruise ship in the world) on Friday, January 11, 2019. Both are also the first beneficiary of an Articulation Agreement between the CMU and the Government of Bahamas, where students from the LJM Maritime Academy in the Bahamas can matriculate directly to CMU. Students are then able to complete the management level of the marine programme and the STCW 95 as amended.
Speaking at the ceremony, Prof. Fritz Pinnock, CMU president, expressed his gratitude to the ACMF and Royal Caribbean for their support. “I want to thank Dr Geneive Metzger, president of the ACMF, for her commitment and work with the Foundation, and Mr Michael Bayley, president of Royal Caribbean, for his passion and care for regional development.”
The Royal Caribbean donated US$ 100,000 to the Foundation at the Anchor Awards held in New York recently.
In a letter to the CMU, Dr Geneive Metzger encouraged the recipients to represent themselves, the ACMF and RCI with great pride, as the Foundation seeks to increase the number of scholarships in 2019.
“Both recipients are now international ambassadors of the ACMF and Royal Caribbean,” she said. “We now challenge them with the hope of all they can be and with the unwavering determination to be that, as their success supports the strategic endeavours of the ACMF for 2019 and beyond.”
Ferguson, will pursue his undergraduate degree in marine transportation at CMU. This was the first time he has applied for the award, and for him, a multi-disciplinary individual, it was the best possible result.
“I’m excited to get the opportunity to study at CMU; they have a great programme down there [Jamaica]. And Jamaica is like my second home—sun, sand, and sea—much like the Bahamas,” he chuckled.
Meanwhile Pearson, LGM graduate and a certified scuba diver, had high praises for the Foundation (especially Dr Geneive Metzger), Royal Caribbean and CMU, all of whom she credits for what she describes as a ‘once in a lifetime opportunity.’
“I really want to thank the entire team who made this all come together,” Pearson said. “This scholarship has given me the opportunity to further my career in the maritime field—and I’m now inching closer to becoming a captain on board a cruise ship,” she expressed.
The next scholarship award ceremony will take place in Jamaica, where further discussions are expected to take place regarding job placements of CMU students on board Royal Caribbean cruise ships.
ACMF Scholarships are offered to students with strong academic performance along with demonstrated leadership, service and community involvement. Grants and bursaries are offered to students with good academic standing and compelling financial need.
