a donation to the Foundation at Caribbean Travel Marketplace earlier this
year. At left is Nadine Rankin, Vice President of the Foundation; and at
right is Karolin Troubetzkoy, CHTA President and Ernest Dwight, Chair of
the Foundation’s Auction Committee.
MIAMI (August 18, 2017) – The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association Education Foundation (CHTAEF) is awarding more than $130,000 worth of scholarships to nearly three dozen Caribbean students this year.
Including the renewal of 12 scholarships awarded to students last year, this academic year will record a total of 34 scholarships funded by the nonprofit group. Seventy people applied this year and scholarships range, on average, from US$2,000 to $5,000 and are exclusively for tuition costs. Universities such as Johnson & Wales provide matching grants for CHTAEF recipients, effectively doubling the scholarship awards.
The Association set up the Foundation 30 years ago to support programs for the development and improvement of education and training in the tourism and hotel sector in the Caribbean. Scholarships are available to Caribbean students and industry professionals pursuing higher education or professional development in the hospitality and tourism field and are awarded with support from CHTAEF sponsors and supporters.
CHTAEF Chairman Richard Kahn thanked the numerous hotels and resorts for their support of the foundation, but highlighted corporate partners Interval International and Virgin Holidays for their generous funding of Caribbean education. “The hotel stays we receive from our CHTA members provide the value we use for The New York Times Travel Show Auction, which this year produced more than $106,000 in revenue for the Foundation,” he said, adding “we couldn’t provide these scholarships without those funds.”
“Seeing these scholarships awarded to our talented Caribbean nationals is one of my most pleasurable duties,” enthused Karolin Troubetzkoy, CHTA President, who thanked national hotel and tourism associations across the region for their support throughout the process. “There is no better investment we can make than banking on our splendid young people and industry professionals who will transform our sector with their dynamism, enthusiasm and intellectual rigor,” she stated.
2017 winners include Cenita Liddie from Anguilla; Kia Harrigan from Antigua; Aruba’s Marc Anthony Ranis; and Forjee Jackson, Gabrielle Josey, Donovan Moss, Dwayne Sinclair, Antanae Taylor and Kenria Taylor from the Bahamas. Additional scholars are Roberta Alleyne, Makayla Bennett and Christine Gibson from Barbados; Kendra Gajadhar from Guyana; Jamaica’s Dominique Haughton and Brianna
Jureidini; and St. Lucians Carleen Isidore, Stacy Lamontagne, Astrid Lindberg and Geni St. Paul. St. Maarten’s Nathalie Boston, Trinidad and Tobago’s Duncan Dwayne, and Jecoix Gittens of the U.S. Virgin Islands were also in winners’ row.
About CHTA Education Foundation
The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association Education Foundation (CHTAEF) was established 30 years ago as a stand-alone 501 (c) 3 nonprofit, tax-exempt organization, through which scholarships and special assistance are available for the education of Caribbean hotel industry personnel and students pursuing careers in hospitality and tourism. The Education Foundation has awarded more than US$2
million in scholarships and grants to applicants who demonstrate a strong commitment to the hotel and tourism industry. For more information, visit www.chtaeducationfoundation.com . For more information, visit www.chtaeducationfoundation.com , call (571) 436-4386 or email foundation@caribbeanhotelandtourism.com.
About the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA)
The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) is the Caribbean’s leading association representing tourism interests for national hotel and tourism associations. For more than 50 years, CHTA has been the backbone of the Caribbean hospitality industry. Working together with 1,000 hotel and allied members and 32 National Hotel Associations, CHTA is shaping the Caribbean’s future and helping
members to grow their businesses. Whether navigating new worlds like social media, sustainability, legislative issues, emerging technologies, data and intelligence or looking for avenues and ideas to better market and manage businesses, CHTA is helping members on matters that matter most.
For further information, visit www.caribbeanhotelandtourism.com.