UWC scholarship fund receives boost from law firm

(CNS): The Maples Foundation has donated US$25,000 to the United World Colleges Cayman Islands National Foundation (UWC Cayman Islands) as part of its ongoing support for the scholarship fund. Each year, UWC Cayman Islands provides full scholarships for students selected to attend one of twelve prestigious UWC colleges worldwide. Since 1984, almost 70 Caymanians have studied the rigorous International Baccalaureate Diploma in this international boarding school setting designed to foster excellence in academics, civic participation and leadership qualities while promoting international understanding and sustainable living.

The impressive growth of this local scholarship programme has been made possible through the generous support of a few major corporate partners and individual donors. 

Vice Chairperson Aubrey Bodden thanked Maples and Calder (Maples) on behalf of UWC Cayman Islands, saying, “Maples has been an integral part of the local UWC movement since 2006 and their annual donations have supported scholarships for over a dozen exceptional young Caymanians. Our recent alumni have all directly benefited from their long-standing commitment to this shared vision and we are so proud of their accomplishments and grateful to our sponsors for making their experiences possible.”

"Maples has been a supporter of this programme for many years and are proud to stand behind such an important initiative that has afforded many students the opportunity of further education," said Paul Lumsden, Managing Partner of the firm's Cayman Islands office. "We believe that investment can have a profound impact when spent locally and, as such, The Maples Foundation is committed to our responsibility as corporate citizens. This drives us to assist organisations that will benefit the youth – essentially, the future – of our community."

Worldwide, over 50,000 UWC alumni from over 180 different countries share a lifelong commitment to positive social action to achieve the UWC mission of a more peaceful and sustainable future. The two-year pre-university programme is a transformative experience and equips individuals to make a difference in their local and global communities, whatever they choose to do. As the most recent alumni, this year’s three Caymanian graduates reflected on their own UWC experiences and opportunities they have been given.

After graduating from Atlantic College in Wales, Abigail Drummond will continue her education in the United Kingdom, having been accepted to the highly selective University of Bristol. Her UWC experience helped her to focus on the positive attributes of the legal profession and the ways in which it can impact her community. Being part of the Sustainability Council and seeing how the college reused, composted and recycled the great majority of its waste influenced her career choice. Abigail hopes to focus her major on environmental law and advocate for mandatory recycling in the Cayman Islands.

Zachary Jones recently graduated from UWC-USA in Montezuma, New Mexico, where he was Co-Leader for Stage Management and Orientation, the Caribbean and Latin American representative for the Student Council and a Resident Advisor in his dormitory. At UWC he learned how to balance his studies with extra-curricular activities and developed important leadership skills and confidence in his abilities. Zachary will go on to attend Penn State, a prominent Big Ten school, and study Marketing & Public Relations.

While at UWC Costa Rica, Kathryn Schirn proudly represented the Cayman Islands and embraced the UWC values of international and intercultural understanding and a celebration of difference. She has become more aware of and curious about the world around her and will continue her studies at a small, top-tier liberal arts and sciences college. At Colorado College, Kathryn will design her own major in Global Health, focusing on the impact of global politics and economic issues and how to reduce inequalities and improve public health.

As these three alumni begin their tertiary education this fall, Madeleine Rowell will enter her second year at UWC-USA and 2013 scholars Tyleisha Galbraith and Simon Watson will begin their studies at Pearson College in Victoria, British Columbia and UWC Adriatic in Duino, Italy, respectively.

Companies & individuals interested in donating to UWC Cayman Islands are invited to email uwccaymanislands@gmail.com. Applications are accepted in March each year from students aged 15-17 and more information is available at www.uwc.org.

Photo top — UWC Cayman Islands Vice Chairperson Aubrey Bodden and 2013 UWC Scholars Simon Watson and Tyleisha Galbraith accept the Maples and Calder donation from Paul Lumsden, Managing Partner, Cayman Islands. Photo below – Caymanian UWC scholars who were supported by Maples and Calder (L-R): Ridhiima Kapoor, UWC Adriatic ’07; Zachary Jones, UWC-USA ’13; Chloé Delanney, Guest; Madeleine Rowell, UWC-USA ’14; Abigail Drummond, AC ’13; Kathryn Schirn, UWCCR ’13; Hailee Robinson, UWC-USA ’12; Kelsey Dixon, UWCCR ’12; and Tom Kelly, Mahindra UWC of India ’07