CableVision awards students for community work

Bermuda CableVision this morning awarded seven high school students with its Community Service Award in recognition of hundreds of hours of community service they have completed.

The students are Gabriella Arnold of Warwick Academy; Victoria Clarke of Bermuda High School; Lewis Ahijah Foggo of CedarBridge Academy; Rashun Robinson of the Berkeley Institute; LaLique Simmons of Bermuda Institute; Brandon Sousa of Mount St Agnes; and Yana Thorne of Saltus Grammar School.

Gabriella has amassed hundreds of hours of community service by volunteering at The Centre on Philanthropy, where she was recognised as Outstanding Volunteer; Eliza Dolittle Society food drive; Tomorrow’s Voices; Sandy’s 360; Bermuda Youth Newspaper; and as the Leo Club President. She also travelled to New York City to take part in the United Nations Youth Conference.

Victoria completed 662 hours of community service in the last two years at BHS, primarily as a candy striper. She has spent countless hours in various sections of the hospital, including the Intensive Care Unit, the Continuing Care Unit and general wards. Victoria also funded a trip to South Africa on a Round Square International Service (RSIS) project where she worked at an orphanage and helped build a kitchen.

Lewis, known as Ahijah, has dedicated 702 hours to community service, particularly with the Lorraine Rest Home, the SPCA and Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo. At the SPCA, Ahijah, an animal lover and future vet, cleans the dog kennels every Sunday and helps to care for the animals.

Rashun has given more than 900 hours of community service at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, where he has volunteered with elderly patients in the Continuing Care Unit. He started in 2010 and over the past four years, he has assisted with feedings, organised menus and even accompanied seniors on various outings.

LaLique has amassed more than 900 hours of community service, volunteering for the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital in the Continuing Care Unit. She discovered a love for working with the elderly, especially those with dementia, which has been instrumental in her decision to choose a career as a mental health nurse.

Brandon has completed 245 community service hours over the past year by volunteering in the NatWest Island Games, Bermuda Youth Association, peer mentoring with Youth Net, BMDS pantomime, an assessor of the Duke of Edinburgh programme and Youth News. He has also been a member of the Bermuda National Men’s Volleyball team.

Yana has logged more than 300 hours of volunteer work as a candy striper at the King Edward VII Hospital and received a proficiency medal for her dedication. She has also spent many hours volunteering as a peer mentor for middle school students for Youth Net, a pre-ballet teacher at In Motion Schoos of Dance and she has also obtained her bronze and silver awards in the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh programme.

Minister of Community, Culture & Sports, the Hon. R. Wayne Scott, JP, MP, said: “These students are role models not only for their peers, but for Bermuda as a whole. Their dedication to the community is admirable, especially as they are young people and recent high school graduates who have busy academic schedules. On behalf of the Government of Bermuda, we extend our congratulations to the students on receiving these awards.”

Junior Minister of Education and Economic Development, the Hon. Leah K Scott, JP, MP, said: “Volunteers are people who work for the benefit of other individuals and society as a whole, out of free will and without expecting any financial reward for these efforts. The desire of these students to share the gift of “selfless giving” is amazing and they should be highly commended.   These students must not only be recognised for working to connect to our community and making it a better place,  but they must also be recognised for doing so while managing their academic requirements.  I extend my sincere appreciation and congratulations to these seven students for their extraordinary efforts.”