INTRODUCTION TO ISLAND SCHOLARS
Island Scholars is a nonprofit organization that provides academic scholarships
for promising students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Scholarship recipients are academically talented students from the Caribbean
island of St Vincent who require financial support to attend high school or
college. Island Scholars is dedicated to addressing a significant need for
financial assistance and mentoring for many promising students who, though
qualified to attend, may be unable to afford the best high schools or pursue a
college education. Less than 10% of eligible students attend 4 year colleges or
universities. Of the 10%, many are scholarships in countries like Argentina,
Azerbighan, Cuba, Taiwan, Turkey and Venezuela where English is not the first
language. Students must then learn the language before they can start their
classes.
Mission:
Our mission is to increase opportunities for Vincentian students to achieve their
academic potential, enabling them to improve their lives and contribute as
productive citizens.
Island Scholars aims to accomplish its mission by:
 Providing academic scholarships for promising students who lack
the financial means to attend high school and college.
 Mentoring and guiding the students during college.
Brief History:
Founded by Ron Rose, Island Scholars grew out of the commitment to give back
to society, and more specifically, to the community that nurtured his early
education and development.
In 1999 Ron started a program to help high achieving low- income children from
the community in St. Vincent where he attended elementary school. He was
concerned that many children who qualified to attend the top high schools lacked
the financial resources to pay for transportation and lunch. Although a modest
effort, several students benefited. The program brought to light both the
possible impact of this contribution on individual lives, and how much more
needed to be done. As some of the students who were assisted during high
school graduated, it became more apparent that there was a further need: many
students who successfully completed high school do not obtain a college degree
because they cannot afford to pursue these studies. This problem is
exacerbated because there are currently no four year colleges in St Vincent .
Students must leave the country for a university education. Many poor families
simply cannot afford the cost for a college education at a University of the West
Indies campus or in other countries.
Persistent inquiries from students who had a strong desire to obtain a college
degree, but whose parents did not have the means, provided the impetus to
expand the initial 1999 program from financial support for high school students to
a scholarship fund that can serve deserving students up to the college level.
One student wanted to become a civil engineer but could not afford the cost of
university. After high school, she went to work but never gave up on her dream.
Moved by her determination and potential for success, Ron encouraged her to
apply to colleges. In 2012 she was accepted at UWI St. Augustine as a Math
and Physics major. Her parents had very limited resources and the bank would
not give a student loan without two cosigners. In addition, interest on the loan
must be paid monthly while the student is in school. That was not a feasible
option. Ron decided to pay for her to attend university. She is scheduled to
graduate in 2015. She plans to pursue a M.S in Civil Engineering.
A student who was among the first to receive high school assistance is now an
accountant in Tortola. She credits the support she received in helping her stay
in school. Today she speaks with deep gratitude about what this meant for her
and her mother.
Island Scholars Fund is committed to assisting students like these to achieve
their full potential for academic and professional success and to contribute to the
economic and social progress of their communities and their country.