UWI Student Makes History
Web Posted - Wed Nov 21 2007
By Khalil Goodman
Robert Luke Browne (left) from St Vincent and the Grenadines is the 2008 Rhodes Scholar. He is pictured here shaking the hand of His Excellency Sir Clifford Husbands, Governor General of Barbados. With them is Secretary of the Rhodes Trust for Jamaica and the Eastern Caribbean, Peter Goldson.
A TWENTY-TWO-year old UWI Cave Hill student from St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is the 2008 Rhodes Scholar for the Eastern Caribbean.
Robert Luke Browne, a National Scholar for St. Vincent in 2004 and the President of the UWI Cave Hill Campus' Student Guild 2006-2007, is the first person to be awarded the Rhodes Scholarship from his island.
He was one of six students short-listed this year for the prestigious scholarship, and after several hours of long deliberations, was named the eventual winner. The announcement was made yesterday at the residence of His Excellency Sir Clifford Husbands, Governor General of Barbados.
Visibly elated by the news, Browne told the assembled Barbadian media that he will be contacting his parents as soon as he left the main hall. "They have supported me, not only in this process, and have had a lot of input in my development," he said.
Calling the intensive interview process "character building", the new Rhodes Scholar noted that all six of the short-listed students were extremely capable and he stated that he believed that they would all be actively working as leaders in the region.
For his part, Browne said he will be pursuing a MPhil in Development Studies with the hopes of acquiring a Ph.D. in the same field.
Once called "a bright and popular... future leader" by SVG Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, Browne stated that he hopes to be able to work in the region in a leadership role.
"I think I would like to get my Ph.D. and continue thereafter to get qualified in law and... return to the Caribbean and work in some leadership role... in something that has a positive vision," he said.
The other students from the Eastern Caribbean short-listed for the Rhodes Scholarship were Maria Kodilinye from Barbados; Hazra Media from Antigua; and Stephen Punette, Kerolyn Chairsingh and Andre Coombs from Trinidad and Tobago.
The selection committee consisted of Sir Clifford as the Chair; Secretary of the Rhodes Trust for Jamaica and the Eastern Caribbean, Peter Goldson; Professor Trevor Munroe; Professor Christine Barrow; Dr. Desiree Cox; and Dr. Geoff Frankson.
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