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Mico alumnus aids institution with scholarship, construction funds

Published:Tuesday | January 9, 2018 | 12:00 AMJason Cross/Gleaner Writer
Neville Ying (second right), pro-chancellor of The Mico University College, speaks with scholarship recipient Shanique Ffrench, while Sylvester Tulloch (left), Mico alumnus and managing director of Kemtek Development and Construction Limited, and Dr Asburn Pinnock, president of Mico, look on during the handover ceremony for cheques valuing $6 million for scholarships and construction of a new gate at the entrance to the university. The ceremony was held at The Mico on Tuesday.

The tight financial position of five students at The Mico University College was eased earlier this week through the generous donations of one of the institution's alumni, Sylvester Tulloch, the managing director of Kemtech Development and Construction Limited.

On Tuesday, $6 million was handed over to The Mico University College to support the institution's scholarship programme, particularly in the area of science and technology, as well as the designing and construction of a single entrance and exit gate, instead of having two as is currently the case.

The redesign and construction of the new gate is aimed at preserving the historic significance of The Mico and giving the institution a Georgian look.

Roughly $22 million will be required for the overall reconstruction of the single entrance and exit gate. Five million dollars of that total was donated by Tulloch. The CHASE fund will contribute $12 million.

Giving back for six years

Sharon Wolfe, who is in charge of alumni affairs, told The Gleaner that Tulloch has been consistently aiding the institution in recent years.

"Mr Tulloch has been giving back for the past six years, providing a million dollars per year. Tertiary students generally are in need," Wolfe said.

"Students at that level need funding to complete their programme or to be able to move on to the next year. There were two young ladies and three young men (who benefitted this year)."

The change to the gate and the increase in scholarship opportunities are all geared towards graduating the institution into a full-fledged university, Wolfe said.

"That work has already begun in terms of having dialogue with the minister of education and his team. We, have already made the proposal and we imagine that in the near future, there should a Cabinet submission. What we certainly will be doing is offering degrees," she said.

"All the possibilities as to how we evolve are being looked at, but certainly, our core business will continue to be education. We will have undergraduate and graduate schools of education, and we will also be looking at doctoral programmes. We will do the entire gamut to be able to provide those kinds of degree programmes."

jason.cross@gleanerjm.com