B.T.L. awards scholarships for high school students
And finally on this day of donations came some help from one of the country’s most successful corporations. News Five’s Marion Ali has the story.
These twenty-one students hailing from all over the country earned scholarships to the institution of their choice through B.T.L.’s high school scholarship programme. It’s an opportunity that twelve year-old Toledo student, Brandon Vasquez, says will save his family a huge expense.
Brandon Vasquez, scholarship recipient
“It had helped me a lot.”
Marion Ali
“In what way, why do you say that?”
Brandon Vasquez, scholarship recipient
“Because my mom is a single parent.”
Marion Ali
“What do you want to study at high school and which high school are you going?”
Brandon Vasquez
“I would want to study in business and I’m going to T.C.C.”
Director at B.T.L., Ediberto Tesucum, says the process by which the students are selected is straightforward.
Ediberto Tesucum, Director, BTL
“We have a selection committee that looks at all the applications. What they look at is the grade system of the students, their needs. They look at the salaries for parents and so on. The whole process itself is to try to help deserving students who are qualified or who qualify to get these scholarships.”
Marion Ali
“What percentage of B.T.L.’s net profits is reflected in this scholarship programme?”
Ediberto Tesucum, Director, BTL
“It’s a small percentage of the company itself, but it’s good enough to help young aspiring children to go high school.”
One such aspiring student four years ago was Delroy Rhaburn, who earned a scholarship to Belmopan Comprehensive School and is now attending UB.
Delroy Rhaburn, Scholarship Recipient
“It gave me the opportunity to have a high school education which would have been much harder if I didn’t receive this scholarship because only one of my parents were working at the time I started high school.”
Marion Ali
“Had you not earned this scholarship where do you think you’d be today? Or what would you be doing?”
Delroy Rhaburn, Scholarship Recipient
“Maybe I would have still went to high school but it would have been much harder. So maybe I wouldn’t have finished as yet.”
Gwendolyn Jones is one single parent who can attest that the scholarship her daughter received had a positive effect on the lives of her entire family.
Gwendolyn Jones, Parent
“I’ve always wanted to acquire Associate degree in early childhood education. If my daughter did not get this scholarship I would have had to put my studies on hold for her future because I also have another daughter who has just graduated from Wesley College and has been accepted in S.J.C. Junior College to pursue her Associates degree.”
BTL invests between fifty to sixty thousand dollars each year on the scholarship programme. Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Education, Marian McNab, says the Ministry sees the investment as a significant venture.
Marian McNab, Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Education
“By investing in social programmes, Telemedia is investing in lives, which is the noblest investment of all. By improving lives, individual’s lives and society’s benefit in a positive way.”
Tesucum says that since 1991, B.T.L. has spent over a million dollars on scholarships. Reporting for News Five, I am Marion Ali.
