B.T.L. awards scholarships for High School
There were hundreds of applications, but in the end only twenty five boys and girls from all over the country were chosen to receive high school scholarships from Belize Telecommunications Limited. The scholarships are part of B.T.L.?s stay in school campaign and since its inception in 1991, the company has given over two hundred and seventy Belizeans a chance to attend high school without having to worry about school fees, books and other expenses related to secondary school education. It amounts to fifty thousand dollars annually, and Public Relations Manager Suzette Tillett says the scholarships are an investment in the future.
Suzette Tillett, Public Relations Manager
?Well it?s an investment in the sense that it?s an investment for the student themselves, as they grow and they mature and they get into their careers. And for us it?s something that, we are giving back to the community and we want to see these students succeed. So, it?s something where we plan to expand our programme to include more things as far as the scholarship goes.?
?These scholarships mean a lot for B.T.L. It?s something that we do every year, but its very substantial towards our stay in school campaign. And the scholarship we are proud of it since it?s one of the largest in the country and its something that we certainly want to continue.?
?The students are selected based on their–they send in an application and it?s based on their aptitude, their grades and financial need. So we get in the application and they go through a process and each student is interviewed individually to make sure that the students that we choose are absolutely of the best of the best.?
Roshel Godfrey, B.T.L. Scholarship Recipient
?Well to me it?s kind of very helpful to my mom and everything because then she does not have to pay for my school. So I just get through school and she doesn?t have all that expense and everything.?
Patrick Jones
?Did you think you would get a B.T.L. scholarship?
Roshel Godfrey
?Well out of all the people that sent in applications I was like, I can get it, but I am not sure if I get it because there is a lot of people out there.?
Patrick Jones
?What went though your mind when you were told that you got a B.T.L. scholarship??
Roshel Godfrey
?I?m like, I got a scholarship out of all of those people out there? I got chosen from so many people? I was like wow! I was like happy and surprised and everything.?
Tillett says that to keep the scholarships, the recipients must maintain good grades and be involved in extra curricular activities at the high school of their choice. Each year as recipients graduate, more candidates are accepted to keep the number of scholarships at around seventy-five.
