Guardian Life Awards GSAT Scholars

Victoria Richards and Alexander Crooks are this year’s recipients of Guardian Life Limited’s Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) scholarships.

Both students, who will be attending Campion College in September, have received five-year scholarships valued at $50,000 per annum.

The students were presented with their awards, which included a gift basket and a certificate, during a ceremony held on Monday, August 19, at Guardian Life’s head office on Trafalgar Road in St. Andrew.

In addition to the GSAT scholarships, the entity provided grants to staff members’ children, who sat the examination. Seven students from the Denham Town, Alpha and Duhaney Park Primary Schools received grants valued at $30,000 each.

In his remarks, Minister of Education, Hon. Rev. Ronald Thwaites expressed his appreciation to Guardian Life for its generosity in assisting the children in their education.

“Not every private sector company does this and Guardian…stands out in celebrating and rewarding those who have done well,” Rev. Thwaites said.

He also congratulated the scholarship recipients as well as their teachers “because I know the labour of preparation for GSAT, starting in grade four and moving right up.”

“I hope that your parents are going to be able, with the assistance that they are getting, to meet all your back-to-school expenses. These are hard times in Jamaica and not everyone in Jamaica is as fortunate as you are to get a company to assist you and I am glad for you,” Rev. Thwaites said.

President of Guardian Life, Eric Hosin, encouraged the awardees to continue to strive for excellence in all that they do.

“Education is an important and critical tool for economic and social advancement and it is through the process of educating ourselves that we will help to contribute to the development and growth of our nation,” Mr. Hosin said.

He added that it is important for the scholars to not only understand and appreciate the value of a solid education, but to open themselves to seeking knowledge and to develop passions outside of academia.

“Fall in love with your school very quickly and work hard to make it better. I am proud of all of you here today, as you embark on your new journey and new phase,”

Mr. Hosin stated.

In her response, Victoria, thanked Guardian Life for the scholarship. She noted that GSAT was a long process “so I buckled down, worked hard and achieved my goals.”

“I would like to thank God, my parents, my teachers and all the people who supported me throughout this journey. I will make sure to work hard and maintain a high standard to fulfill the rest of my goals in life,” she stated.

Alexander also expressed thanks to his parents and teachers for the successes he has achieved thus far.

“Thank you Guardian Life for investing in my future. The funds will no doubt help my parents to offset the expenses of my secondary education for the next five years. I promise to continue to work hard and make everyone proud,” he said.

Since 2005, Guardian Life Limited has been offering scholarships to two children (one boy and one girl) of its policyholders. The scholarships go to the top performers, who are not the recipients of any other award.

Each student will receive $250,000 to cover the full cost of their five years at secondary school. The top girl and boy will also receive $10,000 in book vouchers each, for the first school year.