Springer honours Scholarship winners

On a bright and sunny day under the well-known Springer Memorial Auditorium, Kycia Smith, Jalicia Neil, Jade Searles and Kemar Cumberbatch were celebrated for their outstanding achievements in acquiring full athletic scholarships.

 

In the presence of ten time Olympic medalist Carl Lewis, who came to the school for the second time in less than a year to give his support to athletes and the school, the girls Neil, Smith and Searles were presented with symbolic scholarship letters for a full three year scholarship to the Butler University in Kansas. Kemar Cumberbatch, from Queen’s College received a four year scholarship to attend Alcorn State University in Mississippi. These scholarships were put into works by Sean Dupigny who is the principal facilitator of the program. Through his connection with the University of Houston, the Springer Memorial School and other schools have benefited from the scholarship program and he was also the push behind the involvement of Carl Lewis.

 

Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth Stephen Lashley addressed the audience of teachers, students, parents, sponsors and the media, explaining the importance of celebrating the athletic greats. He was speaking specifically about the Springer scholarship winners as well as those who go on to represent Barbados in the Caribbean and internationally. He lauded the phenomenal success of Springer Memorial in producing quality athletes who can stand and be counted as some of the best the island has ever produced. He also made it clear that we as an island and Springer as a school cannot settle for what has already been done but that there must be continuous growth in the development of our athletes.

 

Lashley then announced that he believed that it was time for Springer Memorial to be declared as a school of athletic excellence. He stated that he was happy as a minister to see the consistency in track and field by the school and attributed it to sports being in the main stream curriculum of the school. Lashley then on a somber note said that gun violence was becoming a more pressing issue and that he believed that sports could bring people together and create peace. He gave the example of the Olympic Games where people from across the world came together despite what was happening outside the walls in their own respective countries.

 

“School life can be said to pass by like a moment in time but it’s an important stage in your life,” said Lashley as he tried to convey the importance of school and learning discipline. He encouraged the girls to reach for the stars and if they care to dream, they could be any one and if they were positive and disciplined, they would inspire the world and make the school and Barbados proud.

 

Lewis also spoke to the winners and the school and let them know that athletics is not the only avenue to shoot for the stars. He allowed them to know that they could be whatever they wanted to be and that included being a minister, an athlete, a lawyer and a doctor. He allowed them to know that he loved the school and that one day at the Olympics, the anthem will be playing and we will all be watching and listening with pride as one of our own receives their medal.

 

The sponsors of Springer School were on hand at the presentation. Kim Stanton, Senior Manager for Business Support represented Scotia Bank while Byrden Stokes was represented by Marketing Manager Michelle Lashley.