International Keia Armbrister receives 2009 scholarship from the Bahamian American Association
By Bahamian American Association Inc.
Sep 16, 2009 - 6:42:36 PM
2009 recipient Kaia Armbrister at the BAAI "Bahamians in New York" mixer on September 12th. Photo: Kermit Romer
New York, NY - The
Bahamian-American Association held their annual mixer on September 12th at the
Astoria World Manor in Queens, New York. Each year the Association gives out a
scholarship to a deserving young Bahamian.
This year the recipient was
Keia Armbrister, a Bahamian student from Nassau currently pursuing a bachelor of engineering
degree in Naval Architecture with a 3rd Mates License at the State
University of New York Maritime College (SUNY).
Keia's ultimate career goal is to become a Captain,
however pursuing a bachelor of engineering degree will give her the required
knowledge of the engine room of the ship. Furthermore, majoring in Naval
Architecture will allow her to design and build ships. As a captain, it is
critical that she is well versed in all aspects of her studies enabling her to
troubleshoot problems by making the best possible decision in situations based
on her collective knowledge of ships. Knowing the design features and engine
room of the ship in addition to receiving a license will give her a competitive
advantage in the Maritime Industry. Receiving this scholarship will assist her
in continuing my studies her studies at the Maritime College in order to
make her goals achievable.
It is also her goal that upon the completion of her
studies, she gain experience on an Oil/Product Tanker, Liquefied Natural Gas
Carrier or Container Vessel within the United States, The Bahamas and Europe.
After acquiring experience and sea time she hopes to return home to The Bahamas
and encourage more Bahamians to pursue a career in the Maritime industry.
About the Bahamian American Association: On September 17, 1912 a group of ten Bahamian men organized the
Nassau Bahamas Association, Inc. The Association was incorporated on
July 10, 1939.
The Bahamian American Association, Inc. (BAAI) is an
outgrowth of the Nassau Bahamas Association, Inc. BAAI was incorporated
on September 23, 2002 to acquire not-for-profit status under 501C3, and
to address the present realities of the Bahamian American Community.
Our Mission
To unite Bahamians, Bahamian Americans and all persons of
good will for the purpose of promoting and sharing their cultural
heritage, education and social activities, which furthers the interest
of the community, directly and indirectly, in the spirit of the
American Way.
To create programs of a social, cultural, and educational
nature designed to benefit the community, particularly our youth and
senior citizens.
To collect and disseminate information from The Bahamas
which will allow our association to serve as a community resource
facility for Bahamians and people of our community.
To print a newsletter and expand the voice of our association as a mode of communication for our members and our community.
To
engage in fund-raising programs, as well as solicit donations from the
public, corporations, government agencies, etc. to further the programs
of the association.
By working together, we hope to demonstrate the positive values of The Bahamas, and America in our community and elsewhere.
Clemmy
Eneas Varence was born in Nassau, Bahamas and grew up in a single-parent home of eleven
children. She graduated from Government High School in 1998.
As a young child, she dreamt about attending college. The prospect
of attending college was a remote idea, if not indeed, a pipedream in
this environment. This was due to the fact that her mother worked
as a domestic servant. Although Clemmy very much wanted to finish
school, get a job, and help her mother financially, she secretly harbored
the urge to eventually become a college student. Helping her mother,
however, was priority number one. She seriously felt the burden
of helping when her own marriage ended in divorce, and she consequently
assumed full responsibility of her son Clemmeth.
With some trepidation
she relocated to New York in 2001, drawn to the big city by a job offer.
A hectic work schedule and the responsibilities of motherhood clouded
her vision of a college education, but only for a while. With
college in mind, she began to save 20% of her salary though the cost
of living and tuition costs were increasing decidedly faster than her
salary, with limited resources and determination her dream became a
reality August 2002, when she was admitted as a full time International
student at Harrisburg Area Community College in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
During this time she developed good communication skills and leadership
ability that she never knew she possessed. These skills taught
her to be responsible, thoughtful, and respectful of other people’s
cultures, and sensitive to their various needs.
As an International
student, she had a keen interest in sharing her diverse knowledge and
life experience with others. She contributed significantly to
the college by becoming the first black foreign student to serve in
this prestigious position as President of the Student Government Association.
As the student body was predominantly white, this was quite an accomplishment.
Following this milestone, she was honored as the first recipient to
receive the Bahamas American Association scholarship, and other from
within the Harrisburg community. Subsequently, she was awarded
the Multi-cultural scholarship and the Guy & Helen Swope leadership
awards. Shortly thereafter, Clemmy obtained an Associate in Art
Degree in Criminal Justice in June 2005.
Unfortunately, due
to circumstance beyond her control, she was compelled to return to the
work force in 2006, and take one-year hiatus in order to undergo surgery.
She resumed her studies in the spring 2007, when she was accepted at
John Jay College of Criminal Justice on the bachelor level. In
May 2009, she graduated from John Jay College, magna cum laude, with
honor. This is a significant milestone and a giant step on the
road of reaching her career goal of becoming a criminologist.
Now, at this juncture in her academic life the next mandatory step is
to pursue a Master’s degree in criminal justice with a special focus
on criminology and deviant behavior. She was accepted and will
pursue her Master’s Degree in August 09, at John Jay College.
Presently, she is employed
for the past three (3) years as a Senior Information Clerk in the Consulate
General of The Bahamas at New York.
Jasmine Thomas is
currently in her senior year at the Purchase College Conservatory of Music
where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree in Voice and Opera
Performance. She has performed in numerous stage productions at the conservatory.
A few of her memorable performances are:
The
Coronation of Poppea, the
mother in
Amahl and the
NightVisitors, and Sister Genovieffa
in Puccini’sSuor Angelica
.
Added to
Jasmine’s performance experiences are her Brooklyn Youth Chorus performances
with Andrea Boccelli, Philip Glass, Michael Jackson, Elton John, Steven Green
and John Adams & the New York Philharmonic. Jasmine has done guest solo
performances for the Brooklyn Philharmonic, the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, the
Independent Democrats, the Union League Club honoring the former Justice Sandra
Day O’Connor; the Merrill Lynch Board of Directors, Channel Thirteen and
WLIW21.
She has provided entertainment
for the many chapters of the National Association of Negro Business and
Professional Women. She has also performed internationally at Johannes Brahms
International Music Festival in
Wernigerode,
Germany, the Llangolen International Music
Festival held in Eisteddfod,
Wales,
at the
ChristChurch
held in
OxfordEngland
and at the
TrinityChurch in
Strafford-on-Avon,
England.
Jasmine is also a regular performer at her church, Calvary Baptist, in
New York City.
Jasmine was
awarded a Grammy Certificate and shares a Grammy Award with the Brooklyn Youth
Chorus for her participation in John Adams & the New York Philharmonic
recording of
On the Transmigration of
Souls, which won the Grammy award for 2003 Best Classical Album.
Jasmine is a
recording artist with Deutsche Grammophon.
She is featured as a background vocalist on
Sting’s
forthcoming album, "If On
A Winter's Night..."
Jasmine is also a friend of the Italian American community
of
New York City.
She sang both the American and Italian national anthems at
Bowling
Green,
New York City, on June 2nd
of this year for the
Italy's
Republic Day flag raising ceremony. She spend a semester this summer in
Italy studying advance Italian at
PurchaseCollege,
Pisciotta
Italy.
She was a featured performer in the piazzas of
Florence and Pisciotta.
Jasmine is very
active in her community.
She has freely
contributed her talents to draw awareness to the many issues that plague our communities.
She has worked with CPIC, an organization that promotes healthy lifestyles
amongst persons of
Caribbean descent throughout
the world in a professional, culturally based atmosphere. She has provided
entertainment for their outreach programs and AIDS Walks.
She has also freely given of her talent to
bring joy and entertainment to the Senior Citizens of Park Slope Geriatric Day
Center in
Brooklyn,
New York.
This year Jasmine
was the featured soloist at the New York State 2009 Supreme Court Black History
Celebration.
Jasmine was
awarded the Senator Kevin Parker Award of Appreciation for Dedication and
Commitment to the Caribbean American Communities in
New York. She is a Bank of America Joe
Martin Scholar and in 2008 she received a scholarship award from the Bahamian
American Association of New York City.
Jasmine is a
first generation Bahamian American, and it gives her great pleasure to
represent her heritage and share her cultures at every opportunity afforded to
her.
She was a guest performer at the 94th
anniversary of the Bahamian American
Association and last year she performed at the 35th Bahamas Independence
Anniversary Thanksgiving Service and Flag Raising Ceremony at
Bowling GreenPark.
Miss DeVette Taylor is a model, in more ways than one,
because she has received numerous awards for Dynamic Youth leadership and
talent, serving also as a teen ambassador and young adult spokesperson during
her various reigns as the
New York City’s NAACP’s Act-So 2005 Gold Medalist (Classical
Voice category), as a
Debutante ~ elected as “
Miss Congeniality”
in the renowned
Abyssinian Baptist Church’s Fifth African American Cotillion
in May 2004 (although she is Anglican in tradition),
Miss Caribbean Teen
International 2004 (as “Miss Bahamas”), Hal Jackson’s Talented Teen
International - 2nd Runner Up (2004); and as a 2006 Miss New
York-USA contestant.
Miss DeVette Taylor is also an aspiring
operatic diva – a soprano who has performed on
television, in film and on the stage. Miss Taylor
is currently a college
student studying interior design and architecture while continuing her studies
and performing in classical voice. DeVette is the “daughter” half of a
mother/daughter dynamic duo
positive-image motivational speaker team
with her mother, Olivette Taylor.
DeVetteappreciates the
love, tutelage and support extended to her by the members of the Bahamian
American communities such as the
Bahamas American Association Inc. (“B.A.A.I.” –
formerly known as the Nassau Bahamas
Association), the
Bahamian American Cultural Society and the former Consul General-NY, Honorable and
Mrs. Eldred Edison and Dawn Bethel and the late Vice Consul General
Renee M. Pinder, as well as the Commonwealth of the Bahamas’ Ambassador to the
United Nations,
Her Excellency Dr. Paulette Bethel.
In
addition to being a B.A.A.I. scholarship recipient during her college freshman
year, B.A.A.I. has continuously afforded DeVette a multitude of
privileged experiences and memorable occasions because DeVette
“warmly treasures her moments in presenting the widow
of the first Bahamian Prime Minister, Honorable Lynden O. Pindling, Lady
Marguerite Pindling with a greeting and an exquisite floral bouquet at the
B.A.A.I.’s 2004 Gala Ball in her late husband’s honor; and visiting with
His
Excellency. The Honorable Governor General Arthur D. Hanna, the then Prime
Minister Perry Christie and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Honorable Fred
Mitchell.”
DeVette Taylorhas been instilled
with pride in herself, her family and her Bahamian heritage from the time she
was born and it gloriously emanates and radiates from her. As her mother
consistently refers to herself, DeVette,
too, is “
a real Bahamian American Princess!”