UniSey rewards first winner of S4S Colleen Morel Awards for 2021 |12 June 2021

(L to r) HSI representative Chrissy Hoareau, Award winner Maryssa Samedi and Nigel Pillay, a family member of the late Colleen Morel

First-year University of Seychelles student Maryssa Samedi is the proud winner of the 2021 S4S Colleen Morel Scholarship Award, sponsored by H Savy Insurance.

The BSc Environmental Science student received her R10,000 award during a short ceremony at the H Savy Insurance office at Kinsgate House on Thursday this week.

This was in the presence of a member of Colleen Morel’s family, Nigel Pillay, HSI representatives and Maryssa’s mother Marie-Chantale Nicole.

Maryssa, who is a member of local environmental group SYAH, has also been an environmental activist from a very young age.

“By joining the environmental course at UniSey I have been able to turn my passion for the environment into a career journey and the award is testimony that I have certainly made the right choice,” said Maryssa.

“Ever since I was a little girl in my school’s Wild Life Club, I have been passionate about environment protection. Winning this award at the beginning of my degree will definitely be an encouragement to persevere in my studies and allow me to contribute more positively towards local and global efforts to protect the environment,” Maryssa added.

The award which recognises exemplary environmental students was initiated under the HSI Statutory Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme in 2017.

“With the termination of the CSR tax in April 2021, we felt it was important for us to honour our commitment towards our partners and students and incorporate the awards as an annual company donation,” said the general manager of H Savy Insurance Lambert Woodcock.

The S4S grant which is a collaboration between the local environment group, the UniSey and HSI, consist of two awards.

The second R10,000 award – S4S Colleen Morel Environmental Science Achievement Award – will be presented during the UniSey’s graduation ceremony later this year.

Contributed by HSI