Dart gives out debut science scholarships

(CNS): Dart Cayman Islands has given the first of its Minds Inspired Scholarships to a student from Clifton Hunter and a student from Cayman Prep David Forbes and Ethan Whittaker have been awarded the  scholarship which promotes academic excellence in math and science after what Dart officials described as a rigorous testing and interview process. The boys will receive full tuition costs for four years at the high school of their choice in Cayman and the creation of a college fund, a mentoring programme with Dart employees, and enrichment activities to further encourage, support and inspire them to achieve their full potential.

David and Ethan were described as outstanding young scholars who led a field of 25 applicants from seven high schools. To ensure the total integrity of the outcome, the identities of the applicants remained anonymous to the selection committee and were only revealed once the final selections had been made, Dart stated in a release.

Mark VanDevelde, Chief Executive Officer of Dart Enterprises Ltd, said there was an excellent response to the scholarship programme launch.  “Just by participating, each student demonstrated an interest in academic achievement and we want to encourage all of them to continue to strive for excellence. I am pleased to congratulate David and Ethan and welcome them to the Minds Inspired Programme,” he said. “The Minds Inspired Scholarship Programme supports Dart’s philosophy of promoting education and fostering academic excellence in math and science. We believe that these two disciplines are fundamental building blocks for academic and career success.”

Three finalists Abbie McMillan, Mina Whorms, and Zarek Deosaran will along with the two scholarship recipients receive a new Apple iPad in recognition of their hard work during the selection process.

Joanne Lawson, Senior Manager of Organisational Development at Dart Enterprises Ltd said there were five assessment rounds to fully evaluate the students’ abilities.
“We established a very thorough and carefully managed process from the start to ensure we were judging these students based on merit and merit alone. We’re very excited about supporting these two scholars in their future career and educational choices,” she said.
The programme also recognises the important role played by the students’ schools and a grant of CI$1,000 has therefore been awarded to the math and science departments of Cayman Prep and Clifton Hunter.

Visit www.mindsinspired.ky for details on this year’s scholarships and applications for next year.