A brilliant Anguillian student, Nashara Webster of Island Harbour, who has the distinction of being the Island’s Scholarship Winner, awarded by the Government, will now be studying in Canada where she is also the proud winner of a scholarship from Trent University at Peterborough, on the outskirts of Toronto.

Miss Nashara Webster

Nashara, 20, has been a Grade 5 Teacher at the Island Harbour Primary School following her graduation from Sixth Form at the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School. In 2005 she graduated from Fifth Form with nine CXC Subjects and in 2007 she graduated from Sixth Form with seven CAPE Units in Sociology (2), Economics (2), Statistical Analysis, Communications Studies and Caribbean Studies. In both cases she obtained the best CXC and CAPE results. She became the Island Scholar and was awarded a Government of Anguilla Scholarship to pursue studies of her choice leading to the level of a Master’s degree.

The young academic, who leaves the island today (Friday, August 29), told The Anguillian: “I will be doing a dual major programme in Economics and International Development Studies at Trent University in Canada. My Bachelors should take anywhere between three and a half to four years and then I will do my Masters, but I haven’t decided what school I would do it at or how long it will take.”

She came into contact with Trent University when officials from there conducted a college recruiting seminar in Anguilla when she was in Fifth Form. “I was quite impressed,” she said. “What won me over was the fact that my two very successful cousins, Tonya and Tara Carter, went to school there and had lots of wonderful things to say about the university. From that, I knew that it was a place where I could see myself. I applied there as well as to other schools. I got accepted at all and I was offered tuition grants at all schools but Trent won me over because they gave me a full tuition offer which I accepted and so that was really the winning point.”

The articulate Nashara went on - “I have two full scholarships, full as in food, clothes, rooming, money to spend on books, money for winter clothes and other miscellaneous monies. Both scholarships are basically the same so I decided to take the Trent Scholarship to cover my expenses to alleviate the Government of Anguilla of that cost so that they can probably spend that money on another student. (How very considerate!) So the Government will just be paying for a ticket home every summer and they will be giving me my salary while I am away and Trent will cover the rest.”

Nashara, who is a Leader in the Sixth Anguilla Girl Guide Company at Island Harbour, has been described by Guide Commissioner Dr. O. M. Linda Banks as a shining example to young people who, like her, should be committed, have high expectations and work towards achieving them. She is also highly regarded by many other persons including her mother, Celina Fleming (Princess whom she described as her “mother and father”), and other relatives.

“They are very proud of me and I am glad that I can make them proud,” said the grateful student. Asked why she thought she had been so successful, Nashara replied: “I know how to keep a balance. I am not too bogged down by school work and I am not too laid back and caught up in casual activities. I know how to find a balance and most importantly I know what works for me; so I know what will keep me motivated and what will bring me success. That’s what I do.”

Commenting on her extra-curricula activities, the well-focused student said she had been a Girl Guide for several years and earlier this year she decided to become a Leader and took up the challenge. “I became a leader because our organisation was falling behind as a result of a lack of leaders to keep it going. I couldn’t allow it to die because I recognise the importance it has played in my life and development. I wanted to be a leader to provide an opportunity for other girls in the community, and so I decided to take up the challenge and I got my friend Jacinta Crawford who was very willing and we re-started our Guide Company and it has been going ever since.” Nashara and Jacinta have been working closely with Mavis John who has been a longstanding leader, but an otherwise busily-employed person.

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