Chantal wins Payless scholarship

Newallo, a 20-yearold Maraval resident, was chosen from among eligible applicants from the Caribbean and Latin American countries in which Payless is offering the scholarship: Costa Rica; Dominican Republic; El Salvador; Honduras; Guatemala; Nicaragua; Panama; and Trinidad and Tobago (TT).

Payless ShoeSource (BVI) Holdings Limited established the scholarship fund in 2009.

It said, “Our intention to supplement the fund by annual contributions so that it becomes selfsustaining within ten years.” The scholarships will be awarded on academic and needs criteria, while the grants will be awarded to UM students on a needs basis. The scholarship recipient must be an applicant to the UM School of Business who not only demonstrates financial need, he/she must maintain above average grade point average; applicants must have the equivalent of an “A” average in secondary school and rank in the top five percent of their class.

The scholarship is awarded by UM’s Office of Financial Assistance Services, with the assistance of its Office of Admission.

Selected in 2016, Newallo is currently pursuing a degree in Geological Sciences with minors in business, mathematics and psychology.

Speaking with Business Day, she said, “I started classes in August of last year. I hope to go to graduate school… in the future and study geophysics.” Newallo attended St Monica’s Preparatory Primary School, Port-of-Spain then St Joseph Convent, Portof- Spain.

“My parents always ensured that my siblings and I (Mariessa and Matthew), were not only focused on academics. So I was very involved in sport, music and community service throughout primary and secondary school.” Asked how she found out about the scholarship, Newallo said an admissions representative from UM “called and told me about (it) and informed me that I was short-listed with two other students for this specific scholarship.” How has the Payless scholarship impacted her situation? Newallo told Business Day it’s given her “a great sense of financial security and removed the financial burden from my parents for my four years here at UM. It has opened up many doors of endless opportunities that I never thought possible and I am eternally grateful.” “Being able to attend an institution as technologically advanced and as amazing as the UM is a dream come true and I will give back to my community and sweet TT,” Newallo assured.

The Payless scholarship was officially presented to Newallo by UM president, Julio Frenk, at a ceremony held in San José, Costa Rica on March 30.

According to the article, “New future for LatAm, Caribbean students at University of Miami”, published on the website, www.news4europe.eu, Frenk said “...talented young people of the region should not be stopped from developing their potential because if they do well, their respective societies will also do well.” The article also noted that UM promotes the emergence of Latin America and the Caribbean as prominent voices in the global dialogue, and seeks to develop a strategy based on wide associations and institutional consortiums.

“The project includes collaborating on research and data exchanges, along with exchange programmes for students and professors, in order to get the Americas and eventually the world on the road to integration,” News4Europe stated.

For more information on how to apply, visit the UM website at www.

miami.edu/