College celebrates founder’s day with new awards

(CNS): The ICCI was marked its 44th anniversary recently with the introduction of new awards for teachers and students as well as a notable cake. Yvonne Lawe-Gonzales and Wayne McManus were the inaugural recipients of the Dr. Elsa Cummings Award for Teaching Excellence, whiel Jesse Coe and Arsenith-Edale Sintos were the first student recipients of the President's Award for service and dedication to ICCI. Both awards will now be given on an annual basis each Founders' Day.  The celebrations also included welcoming new students to the College during a pinning ceremony.

The first tertiary institution in Grand Cayman ICCI was founded in 1970 and a few old students were also around for the anniversary including Bodden Town political veteran and PPM backbencher MLA Anthony Eden spoke at the event who was part of the first group of students to enter ICCI, graduating in 1977.

“I remember well those first days as a student,” Said Eden. “I am grateful that this college was there to provide me with the opportunity to pursue my education. Many of us owe our success to ICCI. I am proud of the contributions the college has and is continuing to make in the Cayman Islands.”

President Emerita and Founder Dr. Elsa Cummings said the college helped the country grow by providing education to people in Cayman who may not have been able to access learning any other way.  “It has not always been easy, but when you look around at all the successful people in Cayman who got their start at ICCI, we know our efforts were well worth it,” she added.

The ICCI President Dr David Marshall said the country owed a debt of gratitude to the Cummings’ family, the founding committee, and the supporters who provided the access to education for Caymanians

“This College stands as a monument to what hard work, dedication, and perseverance can do when good people are committed to a noble cause,” he said.

The need for a higher education institute in Cayman was initially expressed by Floris McCoy McField, a Caymanian teacher. A Founding Committee was organized by Dr J. Hugh Cummings early in 1967 which worked for several years to establish the College. In January 1968, the American Committee for the College of the Cayman Islands was formed to provide financial help for establishing a college in the Cayman Islands, a college that would later be named International College of the Cayman Islands. The College was formally founded in 1970.