On a recent weekend in Belize, 16 young scholars from employee families at one of the country’s most established companies, Bowen and Bowen Limited, took a transformative step toward their academic ambitions, as the firm distributed its annual cohort of educational scholarships through its long-running community initiative. Now entering its 13th year, the program has grown from a small employee support project to one of the country’s most consistent private-sector investments in youth education, with total contributions surpassing the $1 million mark to date. Unlike many general scholarship funds, this program is tailored explicitly to the children of Bowen and Bowen’s workforce, designed to lift financial pressure from the families that drive the company’s daily operations while unlocking new opportunities for the next generation of Belizean leaders.
Michael Bowen, Chief Executive Officer of Bowen and Bowen, framed the program as a core part of the company’s commitment to national and community growth, rather than a discretionary corporate charity. “We’re all part of a community, whether you’re inside Bowen & Bowen or just inside Belize. And we all have to support each other, but we all have to invest in Belize,” Bowen explained at the recent award ceremony. “Education is a great resource to do that. It gives you this opportunity to learn and question and ask good questions. And again, like I said, it creates choice: choice of your career, choice of where you work, and choices overall.”
Beyond covering core educational costs including tuition, required textbooks, and institutional school fees, the program also adds a structured mentorship component delivered by the company’s Human Resources team, providing scholars with ongoing guidance as they navigate their academic paths. Eligibility is open to all children of active employees, with selection based on demonstrated academic potential and a documented family commitment to supporting the student’s educational goals.
This year’s highest-performing recipient was 16-year-old Dwayne Belgrave, who graduated from St. John’s College with a 4.25 grade point average. Belgrave will move on to St. John’s College Junior College this fall to pursue a pre-medical science degree, with the goal of building a career as a radiologist. For Belgrave, the scholarship eliminates more than just direct costs – it removes the persistent mental stress of financing advanced science education. “Sixth form is very expensive at times. I’m taking science so it’s even more expensive. So it just gets rid of the mental stress for finances,” he said, noting he also has a passion for animal science and is open to where his academic journey may lead him.
Another standout recipient is 13-year-old Kyra Santos, who will attend the Itz’at STEAM Academy this coming school year. Santos, who dreams of becoming a female leader in the science, technology, engineering, arts, and math fields, called the news of her award life-changing. “My mom was at work and she called me and she said I have to tell you something. And I said okay and she tell me and I started screaming and I started crying,” Santos recalled. “I don’t know what I want to study yet but I don’t know what the future holds for me but one thing I know I want to be a girl in STEAM.”
Her mother Kisha Cal, who has worked as an employee of Bowen and Bowen for nearly five years, shared that she sees the scholarship as both a recognition of her daughter’s hard work and a tangible support for the family’s commitment to education. “I’m really really proud for my daughter. I know that she has worked hard for this. I have seen how hard she studies and to me it’s a very good opportunity getting this scholarship for her because I know it can help her both economically and educationally,” Cal said. “I know that she wants to be someone in life. I look forward to these four years ahead and I know she is going to accomplish whatever her dream is.”
For Bowen, the greatest return on the company’s investment comes when former scholars return to join the company’s workforce after graduating, strengthening the organization’s talent pipeline while reinforcing the cycle of opportunity the program aims to create. This story was reported by Britney Gordon for News Five, Belize.