The Tribune

THEOPHILUS Moss has a positive vision for the Bahamas – one in which the nation sets the bar for technological advancement, implements widespread recycling programmes and guides its youth on positive paths.

Now, thanks to the All-Bahamas Merit Scholarship – awarded by the Lyford Cay Foundation in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the Central Bank of the Bahamas – Moss will have a chance to make that happen as he pursues Mechanical Engineering at the esteemed Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

The scholarship awards up to $35,000 per academic year to one outstanding individual attending an institution abroad that plans to return home to advance the country.

Speaking at a special press conference recently at the Ministry of Education recognising the achievements of the 2012 All-Bahamas Merit Scholar – as well as the runners-up, who all received Merit and National Merit Scholarships from the ministry – the young man humbly committed to building a better Bahamas.

“I’d like to thank the Ministry of Education and the Lyford Cay Foundation for giving me this opportunity to go off and study,” he said. “Without it, I don’t know where I would be right now. I hope to get a good degree and come back to help the Bahamas in any way that I can, which I believe should be the purpose of any student in this country.”

Indeed, based on his past achievements, Moss already has a promising track record. Regularly volunteering at Doctors Hospital and the Bilney Lane Children’s Home, he’s motivated to bring new advancements to the Bahamas and improve the lives of those most in need.

Not only that, but his work in Project Lead at his school, St Augustine’s College, has served to guide the sensibilities and social skills of young students, giving them advice to stay on the right track educationally, physically, socially and morally.

For Moss, it’s important to give guidance and inspiration to those who are often lost to social pressures – especially young men.

“I hope I inspire some male students,” he said. “I remember having a conversation with one of my friends in school who wasn’t academically inclined and he told me he just doesn’t really see a reason to try hard in school. If a male in the Bahamas isn’t doing well he doesn’t get a second glance, so he doesn’t feel any motivation to do well. That made me sad. It made me want to show everyone that males can do well too.”

Moss himself has been moulded by positive male models in his own life. At the press conference, he thanked his parents and teachers, especially his English teacher Mr Pratt and his Physics teacher Mr Greene, for supporting his vision.

Yet he credits his Karate teacher, Mr Braynen, for teaching him how to successfully identify and solve problems.

“He taught me how to approach things — not just in karate but in life in general,” said Moss. “You can’t attack a problem face-on, you have to look at it from a different perspective. If one way isn’t working, you shouldn’t be afraid to try a new way. He taught me to continue to work at something until I succeed.”

Ready to study Mechanical Engineering, Moss hopes to introduce innovative solutions to infrastructural challenges in the Bahamas, including such vital ideas as a nation-wide recycling programme and even inter-island bridges.

Clearly excited about what the future will hold, Moss is eager to begin getting hands-on experience in the labs at Johns Hopkins to think about the ways the field can expand at home.

“Engineering isn’t a very developed field in the Bahamas — we don’t have a lot of Bahamians that are highly regarded as engineers and it’s mostly unheard of,” he said. “I’d like to come back and contribute in whatever way I can for developing infrastructure and advancing technology in the Bahamas.”

Speaking at the press conference, Lyford Cay Foundation president Alessandra Holowesko praised all of the students present and expressed confidence in the choice for a new leader to pave the way for a better Bahamas.

“We congratulate all of the finalists, we also congratulate their families, teachers and communities,” she said. “We know it takes a team approach and we also know it takes hard work.

“To the 2012 All-Bahamas Merit Scholar, we congratulate you and extend our warmest wishes for every success at Johns Hopkins University.

“Rest assured that we will be cheering you from afar and we look forward to your significant and meaningful contribution to the Bahamas.”