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St Julien Presbyterian Past pupils give back
St Julien Presbyterian Past pupils give back | The Trinidad Guardian Newspa
Published:
Tuesday, May 8, 2018
Emotions of gratitude and inspiration etched on the faces of scores of pupils of the Basdeo Panday Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Centre and St Julien Presbyterian School who received educational gifts last Thursday was testament to the fact that investing in young people and giving back makes a significant difference.|
The pupils of the schools, which are both located in St Julien Village, Princes Town, benefitted from the generosity of the Kowlessar family, which has seen three generations attend the schools so far.
Speaking on behalf of her family was Anne Kowlessar who indicated that they wanted to make a contribution to the institutions which had created the educational foundation for their family.
“We all have so many wonderful memories of attending both schools and those experiences shaped who we are today, especially in terms of our love for learning, our strong connection to home and our values.
We felt that it was our duty to give back to the schools that have given us so very much. The feedback of love and appreciation that we have received has filled our hearts with joy.
“I would encourage every person to give back to their past schools because every little contribution makes a big difference, especially when it comes to educating our children. Just as much as the government and the denominational boards, we each can each play an important role in education.”
Each pupil was presented with a book bag filled with items such as pens, pencils, erasers, sharpeners, markers, a stapler, notebooks and an array of other stationary supplies, in addition to a dictionary.
The wide-eyed looks of wonder mirrored the heartfelt appreciation of the pupils, which was reflected in the words of Shane Harricharan, a standard four student of St Julien Presbyterian, “This is a tremendous gift to us and we are very thankful that the Kowlessar family wanted to contribute to our education. I have always been motivated to study hard to succeed and now I have another reason to achieve my best.
“I want to follow their example and give back to this school one day so that those students will also know that they are supported and appreciated. This was a wonderful thing that they did and we are thankful for everything.”
St Julien Presbyterian School boasts many successful past students, including former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday who resided in the village and in whose honour the ECCE Centre was named.
Other outstanding members of the St Julien alumni include UWI lecturer Dr Indira Rampersad; former Petrotrin vice-president Mado Bachan; media, cultural and literary consultant and educator Dr Kris Rampersad; past principal and school supervisor Wilfred Adimoolah; and engineer Roy Gunness.
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Also expressing gratitude for the generous gesture was St Julien Presbyterian Principal Hannays Ramsingh: “In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we sometimes forget that we have so very much to be thankful for. When a contribution like this is made, it makes us pause and reflect on the fact that we each have a responsibility to inspire and motivate young people, especially to learn and grow. These children have been energised to learn by this act of kindness and this is one of those moments that will stay with them for a lifetime.
“We are truly grateful, not only for the generosity of the Kowlessars, but also for the valuable lesson that they has taught us as adults—that we all need to give back and keep the cycle of benefit going.”