Philipsburg --- Five students attending the University of St. Martin received scholarships from the institution. Outgoing president of USM board Josianne Fleming Artsen said the students were selected by the scholarship committee. The committee she said looked at the student's grade, (GPA) their contributions to society and their extra-curriculum activities.Also given out on Wednesday was the President's award. Fleming-Artsen said six students applied for the USM scholarship which is granted annually. The five students that were selected are Cassandra Richardson recipient of the President's award. Ramzan Juman, the only male majoring in Education and webmaster of SMN News, Hadassah Arrindell, Lisel Toss and Paul Wilson. Five of the six students were awarded with the scholarship. Of the five recipients that were awarded with their scholarships, three of them are majoring in Education, while the other two are majoring in Business.
Fleming said the recipients have to maintain a 3.0 GPA to keep their scholarship for the duration of their studies. She said the cost for each scholarship ranges from $15,000 for those students going for their bachelor's degree and $7.500 for those in associates.
In unrelated news SMN News has been reliably informed that Arjen Albert a former teacher of the St. Maarten Academy and St. Dominic High School and now employee of DERPI is the selected candidate to replace Josianne Artsen Fleming. Albert was once the adviser to Claudette Labaga of the Education Department and he is currently working as a policy worker with DERPI.
Fleming-Artsen has resigned from her post at the USM to follow her aspirations in politics. It is understood that Fleming-Artsen is one of the top candidates that would be running on the UP list headed by Commissioner Theo Heyliger. Fleming-Artsen once said that the only way education would receive top priority on the island and USM getting its accreditation is if she is placed at the helm in government. SMN News understands that Fleming-Artsen is hoping to become the first Minister of Education when St. Maarten achieves its new status.
