UNF creates Sir Colville Young Scholarship
The University of North Florida, UNF, is creating a scholarship fund for Belizean students pursuing careers in education. The scholarship is named in honor of Governor General, Sir Colville Young, who is working closely with UNF officials to generate financial support for the endowment fund. Dr. Betty Flinchum, Senior Advisor for UNF’s International Programme, donated five thousand dollars to start the fund which is expected to select its first recipient for September 2001.
Betty Flinchum, Senior Advisor, International Office, UNF
“His Excellency Sir Colville Young is not important only in Belize, but he’s important to us at the University of North Florida. He’s been a long time friend and colleague in education and of course since he’s a national treasure and in fact that we have such a long standing relationship and so many graduates, it seemed fitting that the first scholarship be named for him. We’re honored that he would accept this scholarship endeavor with us.”
Katherine Kasten, Dean, College of Education, UNF
“We have had a number of students Belize come to North Florida and study in Jacksonville. And in 1996 we started a graduate programme in Belize City for sixty-seven students who spent most of their time studying in Belize City with our faculty, but then came to Florida for summer. We had sixty-seven graduates from that programme. We have probably one hundred and thirty alumni from UNF in Belize. So this is our largest international alumni chapter and that’s one of the reason that we are here.”
Jose Sanchez
“In terms of actually reaching the students, how many people will benefit from the scholarship fund?”
Betty Flinchum
“Well, the scholarship will go to only one student. It’ll be a student selected by a joint committee from Belize and the University of North Florida. We have a criteria to establish to select the student and hopefully in the future it will be a full scholarship and it will be a very prestigious scholarship.”
The reception for the Sir Colville Young Scholarship fund took place tonight at six at the Holy Redeemer Parish Hall. The event will also recognise outstanding other alumni of the University of North Florida.
