Nevisian Educator is First-Ever Recipient of Bonita Morgan Memorial Scholarship

A Nevisian secondary school teacher, with a history of success in preparing students for the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO)’s Tourism Youth Congress, has been selected as the first-ever recipient of the Bonita Morgan Memorial Scholarship.

Philicia Walters, a graduate teacher at Gingerland Secondary School, was chosen by the CTO Scholarship Foundation for this scholarship named in honour of the organization’s former head of human resources who passed away in April 2018 after serving 22 years as the CTO’s director of human resources and later, the director of resource mobilization and development.

“As a recent teacher chaperone of the CTO Tourism Youth Congress, I would have interacted with Bonita Morgan on several occasions and have always been impacted by her dedication and zeal to ensure that the Caribbean’s tourism product remains among the best in the world. Furthermore, she was also passionate about making certain that our young tourism ambassadors were aware of the region’s diverse contributions. Hence, to be accorded a scholarship in her honour is a humbling experience,” said Walters, who is pursuing a Masters Degree in Tourism Management at Colorado State University in the United States.

Since 2011 Walters has been preparing students at her school for the youth congress, two of whom have emerged as winners. She also teaches tourism and delves deeper into tourism concepts as part of her syllabus for her geography and social studies courses.

“I am confident that with the aid of the Bonita Morgan Memorial Scholarship to finalize this aspect of my educational journey, I will be better empowered to assist in the development of tourism in Nevis and the Caribbean by extension,” Walters said.

This year the foundation granted five scholarships and five study grants – approximately US$35,000 – from a list of over 60 applications.