b"Thank You Coconut BayI distinctly remember sometime in April 2022 I was at a crossroad in my life. I had just applied for two courses at Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, an associates degree program in Computer Information Technology and one in Construction Engineering. I had to choose between something I'm genuinely good at, but I'm not particularly passionate about, and a field that interests me but honestly had a very surface level understanding in.Coupled with this was the anxiety of how would my mother be able to afford me either of those options. Despite never letting that being a factor in any of my educational endeavours in the past, it genuinely worried me. But my mother reassured me that, as always, God will make a way even when there seems to be no way.That summer afternoon, filled with such conflicting emotions of realizing I will most likely not see most of my friends anymore and not knowing what my future holds for me, culminated in a way that truly changed my life. After being awarded so many honours that day thatI couldn't hold them with both hands, I thought to myself that's it the ceremony is about to end. Then my name was called upon to the stage once more and when the announcer detailed the extent of the prize I burst out into tears. Very few of my friends or my peers had ever seen my cry like that. I had never felt such a rush of emotions like that before. Those tears were not for me and for the opportunity before me but for my mother because now I knew I didn't have to worry for her potentially suffering for me to be able to go to school.That day gave me hope for my future. Because despite all the sleepless nights and long days on that morne campus, I knew that I could have been much worse off without the scholarship.In my first semester for my drawing course, I would often have to stay back an hour or two, or use whatever free period in order to complete my assign-ments because I didn't have access to a laptop that could run the necessary CAD programs. Even for any course that required digital media or online submissions, I would have to do all of that on my phone. It did the job for ayear but heading into my second year of my program I knew it wouldn't cut it. So when I was asked about my needs related to my education experience, this was on top of the priority list. The tuition, the laptop, allowances for bus fare and a pair of shoesI honestly couldn't have dreamed of such a catered and thoughtful package of a scholarship and although I did the work for the most part on my own, I wouldn't have been able to graduate, or be employed in the field I am in today without the help of Coconut Bay.Sincerely,Dane Benjamin Scholarship Recipient22 COCONUT BAY - 2025"