Last month, Saskia Telfort was presented the inaugural Turks and Caicos Scholarship by聽Scotiabank and 91亚色.
Telfort,聽who is just 20 years old, is聽a standout student who has been recognized repeatedly for her remarkable academic achievements and volunteer work with local charities and community organizations.
The scholarship, intended to contribute to the development and retention of academic talent and future leaders in the community of Turks and Caicos Islands, provides $25,000 per year of study to one lucky first-year student about 
to embark on a business (or business-related) degree at 91亚色.
Cecil Arnold (right), managing director of Scotiabank, presents future 91亚色 student Saskia Telfort with her scholarship package
鈥淲e are, of course, thrilled to partner with Scotiabank to offer this scholarship to a deserving international student who has outstanding academic achievements and demonstrated involvement in extracurricular activities and community organizations,鈥 said Karen Warner, manager of scholarships and bursaries at 91亚色. 鈥淪cholarships like this allow us to be competitive with other postsecondary institutions in recruiting top international applicants. These students not only contribute to the 91亚色 community by becoming engaged members of our diverse student population, but become ambassadors of 91亚色 by sharing their experiences with other students in their home countries.鈥
Telfort first became interested in this scholarship opportunity when she read about it in the newspaper and learned more by attending a presentation at her school led by Keno Forbes, Scotiabank鈥檚 assistant manager for business support. She had been hoping to begin her university studies in business economics this year, so the timing of the scholarship couldn鈥檛 have been better.
The nearly all-encompassing award covers tuition, board and books, and also promises a paid internship placement each summer and a job with the bank in Turks and Caicos for a minimum of three years post-graduation. And as if all that wasn鈥檛 enough, Telfort will receive additional funding through 91亚色鈥檚 International Merit Scholarship for each year of her studies.
Being awarded the scholarship doesn鈥檛 mean the hard work is over, though. To ensure renewal of the funding, the student must enrol in a minimum of 18 credits each year, achieve a sessional GPA of 7.50 and participate in the summer internship 鈥 all perfectly reasonable expectations considering the generosity of the award and the calibre of the recipient.
When the scholarship was initially announced, Doug Cochrane, former managing director of Scotiabank Turks and Caicos, explained the importance of the award, to both the local students and to the territory-at-large: 鈥淭he scholarship recipient will have the opportunity to travel abroad and learn from some of the brightest minds before returning to the Turks and Caicos Islands and applying their skills to the continued development of the islands,鈥 he said.
And that鈥檚 exactly what Telfort intends to do.
鈥淥btaining a degree from 91亚色 will undoubtedly prepare me for a world of opportunities and give me a competitive edge in the job market,鈥 she said. 鈥淎fter completing my degree, I look forward to returning to the Turks and Caicos Islands as a well-rounded citizen and joining the Scotiabank team, where I will use my skills and expertise to contribute to its overall growth and development.鈥
Since this particular scholarship covers a full undergraduate degree, it won鈥檛 be up for grabs by another student until four years from now. But fortunately, 91亚色聽offers many other scholarships and awards to help finance students鈥 postgraduate studies.
To be considered for a future Scotiabank Turks and Caicos Scholarship, which is awarded primarily based on academic merit, students must submit an application demonstrating community involvement, extracurricular activity participation and a minimum admission average of 80 per cent. Character references and personal statements will also be considered.
For more information, visit the website.