By Ashecia Sam . Updated 9:09 p.m., Thursday August 20, 2020, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
Kingstown, St. Vincent (ONE NEWS SVG)– The Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police has awarded the first Philbert G. Chambers Memorial Police Scholarship on Wednesday August 19, at the annual Police Scholarship Awards Ceremony.
The recipient is Maxine Walters, a member of the Calliaqua Police Youth Club and former student of the Fair Hall Government School who performed well at the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment- the CPEA.
Assistant Superintendent of Police- ASP Junior Simmons said the scholarship will assist Walters on her educational journey.
Simmons said Walters’ mother died when she was a kindergarten student. “Maxine is a very special child. From the tender age of four years, she had to travel unaccompanied on vans to the Fairhall Early Childhood Center. For a child at that age, Maxine had a very good knowledge of the buses that plied the Villa/Glen route as she had to literally fend for herself”, Simmons said.
He said Walters was denied many privileges because of her socio-economic background noting that her parents were not gainfully employed at that time.
He said while she was at primary school, “she didn’t even have her text books, there were days when her teacher would print them for her and there were days when the teacher was too busy and Maxine would be seen trying to copy the work for herself from her classmates. Her dedication and responsibility was beyond her years”.
Simmons added that “the trough system in 2013 caused a dramatic change to Maxine. The flood waters entered her father’s dwelling in Arnos Vale and her teacher’s heart could not allow her to have Maxine living in those conditions so she quickly made arrangements with Maxine’s father to keep Maxine at her home on weekdays and return to her family home on weekends”.
He said that arrangement later changed and Walters moved in with her teacher Mischka Young, full time. But Walters still maintains a good relationship with her father and her siblings.
Simmons said he was told by Walters’ teachers and principal that she went through the Fairhall Government School with good grades and conduct.
He said Walters did well at the CPEA placing 117 for girls and 199 overall earning herself a place at the St. Vincent Girls High School.
Simmons said being a committed member of the Police Youth Club, being disciplined and the socio-economic background of the students played a significant role in the selection of the recipient for the Philbert G. Chambers Memorial Police Scholarship. “Maxine topped them all”, he said.
Commissioner of Police Colin John, announced at the funeral service of Sergeant Chambers who died in the line of duty on Sunday April 26, 2020, that a scholarship will be named in his honour.
Chambers’ was also the Coordinator of the Questelles Police Youth Club.
His parents distributed the scholarship to the first recipient.
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