Accounting and culinary students named 2026 National Scholars
By Admin. Updated 7:07 a.m., Friday, November 13, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
Two students from technical and vocational programmes are among the eight young people named National Scholars for 2026. That shows the top awards are not reserved for CAPE high-flyers alone.
Acadia Charles and Tamiah Williams were recognised as technical scholars at the 2026 National Scholarship Programme Award Ceremony and Cocktail on Thursday (November 12). The Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines hosted the event, and the Agency for Public Information (API) carried it live.
Like the six CAPE scholars honoured alongside them, each of them will receive a university scholarship for five years.
In past years, students from the Division of Technical and Vocational Education (DTVE) received mainly bursaries and exhibition scholarships. This year, the two students have earned full national scholarships.
The two share more than the award. Both are past students of the St Vincent Girls’ High School, and both went on to the St Vincent and the Grenadines Community College (SVGCC).
Charles earned her place with a GPA of 3.92 in Business Studies (Accounting). She was also the 2026 valedictorian of the college’s Division of Technical and Vocational Education (DTVE).
Her journey began at the Barrouallie Government School. From there she went to the Girls’ High School, where she graduated on the Honour Roll.
The college said that, along with her grades, she showed exemplary conduct, attendance and punctuality throughout her studies. She also served as Vice President of the Inter Schools and Colleges Christian Fellowship (ISCCF) at the DTVE, a role the college said helped her develop as a leader and team player.
Away from the books, Charles has a creative side. She enjoys makeup artistry, nail art and baking. According to the college, she believes success starts with dreaming past your limitations and having the drive to turn those dreams into reality.
Williams was recognised for a GPA of 3.81 in Culinary Arts. She studied at the Hospitality and Maritime Training Institute (HMTI), which at the time was part of the SVGCC’s DTVE. HMTI has since been granted autonomy. It remains part of the college but now operates as a separate, independent division with its own Dean.
She attended St Mary’s RC School before moving on to the Girls’ High School. At HMTI she quickly made her mark, winning several internal awards during her programme.
Her scholarship is a strong signal for the hospitality sector, a field more often linked to hands-on skill than to national academic honours. It comes at a time when tourism keeps growing in importance to the Vincentian economy.
The Government praised all eight scholars for their discipline, dedication and perseverance. It said their success should inspire other students and shows what the nation’s young people can contribute to national development. It also congratulated their parents, guardians, teachers and everyone who supported them.
The other six scholars qualified through CAPE. Kyrah Sargeant was named Top National Scholar and received the Prime Minister’s Gold Medal Award.
How associate degree students won a place among National Scholars
Today, students like Charles and Williams can earn a National Scholarship, the Government’s highest academic award. Not long ago, that was not possible. The change happened over several years.
2015/2016 and before: The awards were decided on CAPE results alone. Sixteen students were honoured that year. Eight received National Scholarships with full funding for five years, five received Exhibitions funded for three years, and three received Bursaries worth $20,000 a year for three years, all based on the May/June 2016 CAPE examinations. They were recognised on Wednesday, October 26, 2016, at the Schools’ Independence Rally in Victoria Park, and associate degree students were not mentioned. www.gov.vcwww.gov.vc
2016/2017: CAPE remained the only route. Twenty-nine students were recognised on the strength of the May/June 2017 CAPE sitting, at the Schools’ Independence Rally on Wednesday, October 25, 2017. Again, associate degree students were not among them. www.stvincenttimes.comwww.stvincenttimes.com
2017/2018: Associate degree graduates appeared on the list for the first time, but in a separate category. The Government gave awards to 47 students, a jump of more than 60 per cent on the year before. The 32 national awards were based on CAPE results, while 15 additional awards went to associate degree students based on their programme performance. Those 15 included two Exhibition scholarships and 12 Bursaries. The final one went to Troy Eustace, an SVGCC valedictorian who did not meet the age criterion, and he received a special award in education for exceptional performance in his associate degree programme. Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves announced the awards in October 2018.
2018/2019: Associate degree students moved closer to the top tier but still could not win a scholarship. Cabinet approved 48 awards in September 2019. They were based on both CAPE and associate degree results. Two associate degree graduates, K-Tricia Isaacs and Miguel Gonsalves, received National Exhibitions, which carry the same benefits as a National Scholarship but for three years instead of five. Ronnie Richardson, the top associate degree student, received a special award with exhibition benefits even though he was above the age limit. Seventeen others received Bursaries worth $25,000 a year for three years.
2019/2020: This was the breakthrough year. In a record 58 awards, one of the 27 associate degree graduates honoured received a National Scholarship, the first time an associate degree student had won the top award. The announcement came in March 2021, later than usual, after the Covid-19 pandemic upset teaching and examination timelines.
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