Pathlight awards 62 scholarships to Belmopan and Belize City students
Classes are about to begin so this morning more than sixty students were recipients of scholarships that ensure they continue their studies at various colleges. The scholarships are part of the Sponsorship Plus Programme of the non-profit organization known as Pathlight. The recipients were joined by family and friends who acknowledged that the sponsorship eases the burden and allow them to spend more time with the students. Dalila Ical reports.
Shaunty Banas, Scholarship Recipient
Shaunty Banas
“Pathlight is an amazing sponsorship. It helps us not only with the fees but spiritually and academically. Some parents aren’t able to pay tuitions for their kids, Pathlight provides us with that. Mentoring if we are not really doing good on some subjects.”
Dalila Ical, Reporting
It’s all part of the Sponsorship Plus Programme of the non-profit organization. The scholarship programme entails a comprehensive approach to the students’ education says Associate Director for Teacher Training at Pathlight, Consuelo Godfrey.
Consuelo Godfrey
Consuelo Godfrey, Associate Director for Teacher Training, Pathlight
“We are able to do mentoring, tutoring with students. The program also entails character building. We do discipleship work with them. If the students are failing in a particular subject area we provide a tutor for them. We also provide transportation, food, clothing, any kind of school supplies, their books, their tuition, fees. It’s a comprehensive program that we provide to our students. In fact I’d want to say it’s one of the only kinds we have in Belize right now.”
For Joanne Jones, the assistance provides relief and it also affords her more time to help her son with school assignments.
Joanne Jones, Mother of Alex Matute
Joanne Jones
“First of all, I’m grateful. We as parents, I would say, It’s a lot of help and it’s going to help my son to focus in his study. It means a lot. I would say I will be stress free according to his education. I will be able to assist him with the help I’m already getting, I will be able to help him as much as I can without being worried with fees and price of the books and so forth.”
For her son Alex and other recipients, the assistance also means they can remain focused on school work.
Alex Matute
Alex Matute, Scholarship Recipient
“It means a lot because I don’t have worry about dropping out of anything and I will know that I will have a good future.”
Brian Ramirez, Scholarship Recipient
Brian Ramirez
“Pathlight sponsors up to associates. Well, I want to study for an engineer so I think they will sponsor me.”
Dalila Ical
“So this is a really big help for you.”
Brian Ramirez
“Yea it is.”
Vivian Esquivel
Vivian Esquivel, Scholarship Recipient
“I’m not really sure how far I’ll go but with the help of Pathlight mentors I will figure that out in following years.”
Dalila Ical
“And then the scholarship goes a long way helping you and your family?”
Vivian Esquivel
“Well it helps my family and I a lot because my family can’t really afford to pay the school fees or get the stuff I need for the school.”
Dalila Ical
“So it means a lot to you?”
Vivian Esquivel
“Yes it does.”
Shaunty Banas
“I am planning to go really far because I want to be a vet in the future and with the help of Pathlight I will try to do my best to go as far as they are able to help me.”
Pathlight has worked in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education. Doctor Carol Babb says it is a welcomed partnership.
Carol Babb, Chief Education Officer
Carol Babb
“You know that our mantra is ‘education is everybody’s business’ so we appreciate Pathlight supporting our students giving them a scholarship to move on to high school. Education is a basic right and children all need an education if they are to succeed and contribute to the development of Belize, and the Ministry of Education cannot really give at this time, a scholarship to each child.”
The sixty-two scholarships issued today covered students entering high school, sixth form and ITVET.
