T&T Alliance awards
scholarships to six students
By Nelson A. King
Trinidad and Tobago Alliance
(North America), Inc. on Sunday
awarded $1,500.00 scholarships
to six deserving students
during its 43rd Annual Scholarship
Awards Luncheon at El
Caribe Country Club on Strickland
Avenue in Brooklyn.
The awardees were: Rosslyn
Taylor, Abbeo Williams, Chantel
Morren, Jarod Gordon, Leah
Francois and Tamia Medina.
“As scholarship awardees, I
want to congratulate you,” said
Trinidad and Tobago Consul
General to New York J. André
Laveau in delivering the keynote
address at the gala ceremony.
“You’re educated in a
hybrid education. You come
here and you learn the best the
United States has to offer.
“Keep the buzz word as
knowledge transfer,” he added.
“Young awardees, continue to
learn big. Our achievement
belies our size. Continue to
dream big.”
Taylor said she overcame
almost every challenge that
has been thrown her way.
At the early age of 23, she
said she endured the death of
her husband and embarked on
the role of single motherhood,
having to provide for her then
one-year-old daughter.
In 2000, at 30, Taylor said
she migrated to the United
States in search of a better life.
She eventually became
involved in volunteering,
because she wanted to “pay
Caribbean L 8 ife, December 13-19, 2019
forward for the blessings the
Creator had given her.”
Serving food to the homeless
became part of her yearly
regimen, she said. She is also
a certified cosmetologist and
licensed nursing assistant.
Taylor said she cherishes her
experience working with persons
with disabilities, through
her employment, as a Direct
Support Professional, at the
Bloomberg Residence, where
her main focus was to uphold
the Code of Conduct for people
with special needs. Her motto
is: “Treat people with empathy.”
In 2017, the United States
Army veteran, enrolled in college
and is working towards
attaining a degree in nursing
with a minor in social work.
She is an inducted member
of the Sigma Alpha Pi Honor
Society and a representative for
the sophomore students with
disabilities of the Differently
Able Department.
Taylor said her ultimate goal
is to start a mentoring program
Rosslyn Taylor (center) receives the Dr. Jean Leon Award
from Dr. Leon (right) and Joycelyn Alleyne
Photo by Nelson A. King
for young teenagers in Trinidad
and Tobago.
Williams is a senior at
Medgar Evers College, City
University of New York (CUNY),
pursuing a degree in biology,
the first step towards achieving
a degree in nursing. She
said her ultimate goal is to be a
nurse practitioner.
Tamia Medina gives acceptance
speech after receiving
the Menelik Award.
Photo by Nelson A. King