Dart Cayman Islands is delighted to announce that the first recipients of the Minds Inspired Scholarships for high school students in the Cayman Islands are: David Forbes and Ethan Whittaker.

Minds Inspired is a comprehensive scholarship programme promoting academic excellence in math and science. Recipients David and Ethan are awarded full tuition costs for four years at the high school of their choice in the Cayman Islands. They will also benefit from the creation of a college fund, a mentoring programme with Dart employees, and enrichment activities to further encourage, support and inspire them to achieve their full potential.

David and Ethan are outstanding young scholars who completed a rigorous testing and interview process to lead a field of 25 applicants from seven high schools. To ensure the total integrity of the outcome, the identities of the applicants remained anonymous to the selection committee and were only revealed once the final selections had been made.

Mark VanDevelde, Chief Executive Officer of Dart Enterprises Ltd, said there was an excellent response to the scholarship programme launch.  “Just by participating, each student demonstrated an interest in academic achievement and we want to encourage all of them to continue to strive for excellence. I am pleased to congratulate David and Ethan and welcome them to the Minds Inspired Programme.”

He added, “The Minds Inspired Scholarship Programme supports Dart’s philosophy of promoting education and fostering academic excellence in math and science. We believe that these two disciplines are fundamental building blocks for academic and career success.”

Dart also congratulates the three finalists; Abbie McMillan, Mina Whorms, and Zarek Deosaran. Along with the two scholarship recipients, they all received the new Apple iPad presented by the Dart executive team in recognition of their hard work during the selection process.

Mrs. Joanne Lawson, Senior Manager of Organisational Development at Dart Enterprises Ltd., said there were five assessment rounds to fully evaluate the students’ abilities. “We established a very thorough and carefully managed process from the start to ensure we were judging these students based on merit and merit alone. We’re very excited about supporting these two scholars in their future career and educational choices.”

The Minds Inspired Programme also recognises the important role played by the students’ schools. A grant of CI$1,000 has therefore been awarded to the math and science departments of Cayman Prep and High School, and Clifton Hunter High School.

This is the inaugural award of the Minds Inspired Scholarship Programme. Visit www.mindsinspired.ky for details on this year’s scholarships and applications for next year.

Dart Cayman Islands encompasses a number of businesses that operate in Grand Cayman and is also the developer of the Town of Camana Bay.  For more details, visit www.dartenterprises.biz or www.camanabay.com