The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

FIFTEEN rising Grade 12 students graduated yesterday from the Inter-American Development Bank’s inaugural Teen Summer Program after completing a two-week initiative designed to introduce young Bahamians to professional life and international development.

The programme, which ran from July 13 to 24, concluded with a closing ceremony and certificate presentation at the IDB Country Office.

The Teen Summer Program was created after the Country Office identified a need to invest in young people as part of the IDB’s broader commitment to developing The Bahamas’ human capital.

IDB employees volunteered their professional expertise as instructors and mentors.

Students were nominated by public and private schools and selected through a competitive process that included submitting an essay.

Most of the participants were young women, and several came from communities where access to professional workplaces, career mentorship and development-related careers has historically been limited.

Through hands-on learning, professional shadowing and presentations, students were introduced to sustainable development and key sectors shaping The Bahamas.

“Every young person in this country deserves the chance to see what is possible for their future,” Ms Gayle said.

“When we invest in our young students – when we give them the chance to sit across from an investment specialist, to learn what a budget really means for their family, or to stand up and present their ideas to a room full of professionals – we are not just changing their experience; we are changing their view of what they believe they are capable of. That is the most powerful investment the IDB can make.”

Among the participants was 16-year-old Aaliyah Cooper, a student at CI Gibson Senior High School, who learned about the programme after meeting Ms Gayle at a solar energy conference.

She described being selected as an invaluable experience.

Ms Cooper hopes to become either a neurosurgeon or general surgeon while continuing her entrepreneurial pursuits.

“One of the segments that we did, we did resume building, cover letters and mock interviews,” she said. “Recently, we had a scholarship day with different people from the Ministry of Education, the Lyford Cay Foundation, and they came and talked to us like firsthand about like deadlines, colleges, things that we didn't even consider, and things that are normally overlooked when you're applying to colleges.”

Sixteen-year-old Demarion Dawkins, of Aquinas College, said his principal nominated him alongside two other students from the school.

“I was fortunately picked out of the three and it has been a wonderful experience,” he said.

Mr Dawkins, who plans to pursue a degree in accounting and eventually become a certified public accountant, said the programme allowed him to build meaningful relationships with other participants while learning from experienced mentors.

“They had great words for us,” he said. “All of the brilliant young minds I also met down. They were good people. I got to know them so well in the short time span of two weeks, and the mentors definitely guided us throughout this whole experience, and everything was just so great.”