作者： admin

GEORGE TOWN, EXUMA, BAHAMAS – Local non-profit organization Friends of Exuma is advancing long-term community growth through a $20,000 investment in youth education, splitting the total donation between two scholarship programs: one at Exuma Christian Academy and a second contribution to the Nelson A. Ranger Scholarship Fund. The funding is designed to remove financial barriers that prevent high-achieving, motivated young students from accessing post-secondary education, opening doors for them to develop their skills and achieve their long-term career goals.

Unlike one-off tuition support, these scholarships create a sustainable pipeline for local talent to grow into the next generation of Exuma’s leaders. For a small island community where the full cost of college and university study falls almost entirely on household budgets, this targeted financial support turns vague ambitions of higher education into concrete, actionable plans. Recipients gain the resources to pursue degrees in high-demand fields, with a shared commitment to bringing their skills and experience back to strengthen their home communities.

“Exuma is full of extraordinary young people whose talent, grit, and character push all of us to do better,” shared Bob Coughlin, President of Friends of Exuma. “These scholarships are not just gifts to individual students – they are an investment in the potential of our entire island. When we lift up our young people, we invest in the future of Exuma itself.”

During Exuma Christian Academy’s 2026 commencement ceremony, four graduating seniors received the first round of grants from the non-profit’s contribution, each with distinct career paths and a shared commitment to returning to The Bahamas after completing their studies. The first recipient, 16-year-old Jaylen McKenzie, will move to London to study law, with plans to come back to The Bahamas as a corporate attorney and eventually launch her own scholarship for local students. Stanley Pitt will attend the University of The Bahamas to pursue dual degrees in engineering and medicine. Head boy Winston Barr will study management and aeronautics to train as a commercial pilot, and Jeremy Clarke also plans to pursue a career as a professional pilot.

Founded by veteran educator Keniqua Burrows, Exuma Christian Academy started as a small vision centered on faith and academic excellence, and has grown into a thriving K-12 institution serving more than 100 students across Exuma. The school has built a strong regional reputation for its focus on academic achievement, intentional leadership development, and fostering a campus culture where students are empowered to pursue success across every area of their lives.

Burrows emphasized that the relationship between her school and Friends of Exuma goes far beyond financial support, calling the non-profit a genuine collaborative partner. “For many of our local families, economic times are tight right now, and covering the extra costs of higher education – from accommodation to travel flights to the one-time startup fees of moving for university – can feel impossible,” Burrows explained. “Every dollar of this funding makes a huge difference. Friends of Exuma has stood by our school for years, and we’re excited to grow this partnership for many more years to come.”

For scholarship recipient Winston Barr, the grant has been a life-changing support for both him and his family. After completing his management degree, Barr will begin pilot training, a future that was out of reach without the scholarship’s assistance. “There are no words to capture how grateful I am. This organization turned a long-held dream into a reality,” Barr said. “It takes an enormous weight off my parents’ shoulders, and I’m committed to giving back to my community and my country as I move forward.”

The second portion of the $20,000 donation will go to the Nelson A. Ranger Scholarship Fund, an organization founded by Nelson Ranger, who received scholarship support as a young student and has dedicated his career to paying that opportunity forward. For years, the fund has supported students across Exuma pursuing both college degrees and technical vocational training, while also celebrating academic excellence across the island through its programming.

Ranger noted that he understands first-hand how a single educational opportunity can reshape a young person’s entire life trajectory. “Every scholarship we award is more than financial support – it’s an investment in a young person’s dream, and a reminder that the entire community is rooting for them,” Ranger said. “I’m so grateful to Friends of Exuma for partnering with us to keep this critical work going.”

Coughlin reaffirmed that the grant aligns with Friends of Exuma’s core mission: investing in education creates shared prosperity for every member of the Exuma community. “By partnering with trusted local organizations that already know the needs of our young people, we can advance our goal of strengthening the people, programs, and places that make Exuma such an extraordinary place to live,” he added.

For community members interested in learning more about Friends of Exuma’s work across youth development, environmental conservation, and cultural preservation across Great Exuma, more information is available on the organization’s official website at exumafriends.org, as well as its Facebook and Instagram social media channels.

Just days after his story of persistence and dedication captured national attention, 29-year-old Franson Youth says he remains grounded amid the overwhelming wave of kindness from across the Bahamas, and continues to keep his eyes fixed on building a brighter future for himself.

Born with a congenital condition that left him missing one arm, Youth first gained widespread public notice after local newspaper *The Tribune* profiled his unwavering work ethic and positive attitude as a pump attendant at Roker’s Gas Station, located on Nassau’s Faith Avenue. The profile quickly went viral, resonating deeply with Bahamian audiences across social media platforms. As of the publication’s latest update, the story shared on *The Tribune*’s official Facebook page has amassed over 500,000 views, earned more than 8,600 user reactions, generated 400+ comments, and been shared nearly 600 times by users across the island nation.

In an interview with *The Tribune* this week, Youth shared that the level of support from complete strangers has left him humbled and surprised. Dozens of locals have made special trips to the gas station just to meet him, offer words of congratulations, and encourage him to keep pursuing his long-term life goals.

“It made me happy to see that by just showing up and doing my job honestly, I’ve been able to motivate other people who are going through their own challenges,” Youth said. “There’s nothing more rewarding than knowing I inspired others to keep pushing forward, too.”

One customer, moved deeply by Youth’s story, surprised him with an unexpected gift: a new television and a professional camera, to support his creative interests. Looking ahead, Youth has clear educational and career goals he plans to work toward. He hopes to soon enroll at the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute to earn a certification in information technology, a stepping stone toward his dream career in media and audio production.

Notably, Youth says he has never actively pursued a prosthetic arm, having adapted fully to life with one limb over the course of his lifetime. “At this point in my life, I don’t feel that I need one,” he explained. “I’m not saying I’ll never change my mind down the line, but right now I’m completely at peace with how things are.”

Peter Roker, the owner of Roker’s Gas Station who hired Youth, says his hiring decision aligns with a long-held personal belief that disability should never be a barrier to giving a hardworking person an opportunity. Roker shared that he previously employed another worker living with a disability – a man who had only one leg – and approached Youth’s job application with the same open, inclusive mindset.

“I would never be the person to tell someone ‘you can’t do this job’,” Roker said. “I truly believe that if a person puts their mind to a task, they’re fully capable of succeeding at it. I never saw Franson’s missing arm as a disadvantage at all, and it’s been so wonderful to see the public recognize his dedication and commitment just as I do.”

Grief hung heavy over Princess Margaret Hospital’s morgue on Monday, as heartbroken relatives gathered to identify four teenage girls killed in a devastating overnight car crash on Shirley Street. The young victims had only hours earlier gathered with friends to mark their graduation and celebrate upcoming college journeys, cutting short lives full of promise and potential.

By 10 a.m., nearly 20 grieving family members had clustered outside the morgue, waiting to confirm the identities of the deceased. As of press time, three names had been publicly released: 18-year-old Betrica Brown, 17-year-old Diamond Stubbs, and 19-year-old Stania Webb. The fourth victim’s name has not yet been made public.

Inside the facility, raw sorrow unfolded as families confronted their unimaginable loss. Some relatives clung to one another in stunned silence, while others traded quiet words of comfort in a desperate attempt to process the tragedy. The weight of the moment broke through when one woman, after seeing her loved one’s body, let out a gut-wrenching cry. She collapsed into uncontrollable wailing, eventually losing consciousness and having to be carried from the area supported by another relative’s shoulder.

For Damian Stubbs, the death of his daughter Diamond has shattered a future that was just beginning to unfold. Stubbs had recently sent Diamond to New Providence to get a head start on college preparations. A standout student from Old Bight High School, Diamond served as head girl and graduated as her class valedictorian — achievements that filled her entire family with overwhelming pride.

“I was prepared to do whatever it took to make sure she got to college,” Stubbs said. “She made my whole family proud. Everyone who knew her — teachers, friends, even people who just met her once — was proud of the person she was.”

Betrica Brown’s aunt, Densandria Wright, said she was first gripped by disbelief when she heard the news. “The first thing I thought was, this has to be a lie, it can’t be real. I kept telling myself she must have survived,” Wright explained.

Betrica, a student at Abaco’s Agape Christian School, had recently texted Wright asking for help finding a summer job before she left for college on a volleyball scholarship. Wright had already agreed to help her search. “I was still waiting to hear back from connections when I saw photos circulating online,” Wright said. “A friend from the U.S. called me and showed me the posts, and I just kept saying, ‘No, that can’t be her, this can’t be true.’ When I followed up on the news, I learned the girls had all gone out together as a group of friends.”

Wright shared that the group had gotten together specifically to celebrate their graduations and their upcoming departures for college. Betrica had dreamed of building a career as a professional volleyball player. “From what I heard, she almost didn’t go,” Wright said. “She wasn’t sure about it, but Diamond talked her into going because she would have been the only one left at home. So she went… and then we got the call.”

Wright described Betrica as an athletic, funny, and warm-hearted teen. She noted that Betrica rarely went out to social events, which made the news that she had joined her friends that night even more shocking and surreal.

The fatal crash has sparked broad public debate across the community, particularly over the state of local roads in the area where the accident occurred. Lincoln Deal, the Member of Parliament for Freetown which represents the district, declined to speculate on the crash’s root cause while official police investigations are still ongoing. However, Deal confirmed that he has repeatedly raised red flags about the state of transportation infrastructure across Freetown, specifically calling out poor conditions on Shirley Street, East Bay Street, and Mackey Street, which he described as being “very holey” and full of dangerous uneven pavement.

Deal said the tragedy highlights that it is not enough just to repave roads. When construction or maintenance work is underway, he argued, officials must implement clear, visible safety measures to give motorists advance warning of hazards ahead. He called for improved alert signage, fluorescent barriers, and reinforced barricades around active work zones to give drivers adequate time to adjust their speed and route.

Condolences have poured in from across the community, including from two prominent local teen beauty titleholders. Zaniyaa Bowe, Miss Teen International, and Kristaney Duroseau, Miss Teen Universe, shared messages of support for the grieving families.

Bowe, who lives in Abaco, described the three named victims, all young women from Cat Island, as exceptional young people poised for extraordinary success before the crash. She singled out Betrica, who moved from Cat Island to Abaco, as someone who left a lasting impression on everyone she met.

“She always came out to support our pageant events in Abaco, and she would tell me that one day she would be the one wearing a crown,” Bowe said. “All of us young women from the Family Islands are heartbroken over this loss.”