Celebrating an era when shipbuilding and life at sea were routine for Caymanian men, the Ministry of Education, Training and Employment recently announced the addition of the Gwen Bush Memorial Scholarship Fund to the Scholarship Secretariat’s registry.
Launched in partnership with the Seafarers Association and the Cayman Maritime Heritage Foundation, the scholarship honours the late Gwen Bush who was the Islands’ primary contact for the Southwell Recruiting Company which hired seamen for The National Bulk Carriers in the mid 1900s.
A memorandum of understanding sealing the partnership and launching the CI$20,000 scholarship fund was signed by Education Minister, the Hon. Rolston Anglin, JP; Seafarers Association Chairman Hartmann DaCosta, and Cayman Maritime Heritage Foundation President Jerris Miller.
The award will be bestowed annually on Caymanians who wish to pursue boatbuilding or other maritime careers.
Noting that the scholarship idea originated with the two maritime organisations, Minister Anglin explained that their representatives would be part of future Gwen Bush Scholarship selection panels.
He also announced that the scholarship’s first recipient, Ned J. Miller III, son of Jerris Miller, had been selected prior to the ministry’s partnership with the organisations.
As Ned is already pursuing undergraduate qualifications at the International Yacht Restoration School in Newport, Rhode Island, Mr. Anglin presented the first scholarship cheque to Ned’s father.
Gwen Bush’s sons John and David Bodden and John's wife Nancy were also in attendance. John Bodden offered his thanks to the Government and the two associations for honouring his mother.
“My mother was a special person who believed in hard work and taught us that your reward was your pay,” he informed the panel. “She would always say that fame and fortune go as fast as they come, but a good education lasts forever.”
Also attending the event were Deputy Premier, the Hon. Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, JP; Community Affairs, Gender and Housing Minister Michael Adam, MBE; and representing the Hon. Premier, Ministry of Finance, Tourism and Development Chief Officer Carson Ebanks, MBE.
