15 teacher students graduate from Site |29 August 2020
President’s Cup winner Kelly Stravens with her trophy (Photo: Thomas Meriton)
- Kelly Stravens President’s Cup winner
By Laura Pillay
Kelly Stravens is the President’s Cup recipient from the Seychelles Institute of Teacher Education (Site) 2019-2020 cohort of graduates.
Ms Stravens was named as the recipient of the Outstanding Student Award during a brief graduation ceremony held at the Site auditorium yesterday afternoon, in which a total of fifteen students following two programmes graduated from the centre.
The cohort of 2019-2020 comprises five graduates, namely, Emmi Alphonse, Audrey Barbe, Christa Marie, Angelique Nourrice and Isabelle Sopha, who successfully completed their Diploma in Education in Early Childhood, and a further ten – Mary-Francisca Celina, Juliette Ernesta, Raphaella Larue, Debra Lesperance, Verona Malvina, Sharmilla Sedgwick, Juliette Jean, Carla-Louise Simeon, Kelly Stravens and Odile Toule-Thilathier – who successfully completed their Diploma in Education in Primary.
Ms Stravens is described as a person who always displays good and model behaviour, who participates actively in academic and non-academic life at the institute and as a student who has at all times maintained professional conduct. Among the prizes she received are a laptop and President’s Cup from the Office of the President, a certificate, trophy and a full-scholarship through the Agency for National Human Resource Development (ANHRD).
“I am really happy to receive the award and was not at all expecting it. I would encourage other young people to try out a career in teaching. I myself was very timid when I started at Site but I have since developed into a more confident person,” Ms Stravens said.
In line with health and safety protocols in place against the Covid-19 pandemic, social distancing was observed throughout the ceremony, and there were no presentations and handshakes as advised, although graduates could pose for souvenir photographs with Designated Minister Macsuzy Mondon and Minister for Education and Human Resource Development Jeanne Simeon, who were also in attendance.
Following the charge and plea led by Emmi Alphonse, five awards were issued to outstanding graduates. The award for Most Improved Student went to Juliette Ernesta. Emmi Alphonse was awarded for Best Professional Practice from the Diploma in Education – Early Childhood programme while Kelly Stravens snatched the award for Best Professional practice in Diploma in Education – Primary.
The award for Best Academic Performer from the Diploma in Education – Early Childhood went to Isabelle Sopha, while Best Academic Performer from the Diploma in Education – Primary programme went to Verona Malvina.
