Monnica Martin was awarded the $2,500 Dish Fund Scholarship. (Photo courtesy CFVI)
The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI) has awarded $193,300 in scholarships to 65 Virgin Islands students for its 2024-25 academic scholarship cycle. Award recipients were selected by a review committee of 30 individuals who reviewed 172 applications and made recommendations based on the specific criteria for each scholarship, the foundation announced.
“At CFVI, we are committed to fulfilling our mission of enhancing the quality of life for children, youth, and families in the territory, and these scholarships play a significant role in that effort,” said Kafi Blumenfield, chair of CFVI’s Scholarship Committee and member of the CFVI Board of Directors.
“Since 1996, CFVI has provided more than $4 million in scholarships to talented and dedicated Virgin Islands students. We congratulate each and every one of this year’s deserving scholarship recipients and are deeply grateful to our volunteer review committee for their time and dedication,” she said.
Mia Willis was awarded one of the $2,000 Isaac and Rebecca Paiewonsky Scholarship. (Photo courtesy CFVI)
“The Foundation is proud to have supported the educational goals of Virgin Islands students for the past 28 years, and we look forward to working with our wonderful donors and students for years to come,” said CFVI President Dee Baecher-Brown.
Jahnaiy Rodriguez was awarded one of the $2,500 Heavy Materials Scholarships. (Photo courtesy CFVI)
Taysjah Heidmann, the recipient of one of the $5,000 Lana Vento Scholarships, is in her final year of nursing school at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro. “From a young age, my goal in life has always been to help those around me,” explained Heidmann. Her mother suffered from several chronic illnesses, which made her upbringing challenging. “Witnessing her struggles firsthand inspired me to become a nurse and help those in similar situations.”
Faced with significant financial burdens when it came to paying for her education, Heidmann has had to rely heavily on scholarships to make it through.
“Without assistance from organizations such as CFVI and the kindhearted individuals like the donors of this scholarship, I am not sure if I would have been able to achieve my goals,” she said. “Being the recipient of this scholarship has made a profound difference in my life and I am forever grateful.”
Undergraduate Scholarships
Alexander A. Farrelly Scholarship ($2,500 each) – Weena Leinelle Woodrup, Charles Gilbuena
Anna Greene Walsh Scholar Award ($2,500 each) – Dalen Rhymer, Cenoya A. Hendricks, Abigail Valery, Woodlyne Lundi
Artrelle M. Wheatley Scholarship ($4,955) – Nicole Winston-Hernandez
Blackhall Family Scholarship ($2,500 each) – Jose Bougouneau, Ishmael Henry, Marcus Lett
CAHS Class of 1951 ($2,500) – Lyniece Christopher
Coral World Scholarship ($2,500) – Ayaela-Elaine Louis-Riley
David O’Connell Accounting Scholarship ($2,500) – Jennifer Estime
Dish Fund Scholarship ($2,500) – Monnica Martin
Estelle Parrott Scholar Award ($1,000) – Mi’Kaylah Thomas
Falek Family Scholarship ($2,500) – Gidal Williams
NSL Graduate Studies Fund Scholarship ($2,500) – Jenisha Stapleton
Families, organizations, or businesses interested in providing scholarships next year can establish a scholarship fund at the Foundation. The scholarship application, review, and award process is managed by CFVI. Email general.info@cfvi.net for more information.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has approved the final $45 million in Community Development Block Grant Mitigation funding as part of a grant agreement between the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority, the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority and HUD, Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. announced.
This funding will repay a line of credit from the Virgin Islands government that was used as a good faith payment to secure the acquisition agreement between WAPA and Vitol facilitating the purchase of two critical propane terminals at the Randolph Harley and Estate Richmond power plants, according to the press release.
This strategic move significantly advances the territory’s energy security and sustainability. The completion of this acquisition ensures a more stable and cost-efficient energy future for the Virgin Islands while also meeting environmental standards, the press release stated.
“This approval from HUD is not just a win for our administration’s energy agenda but a monumental step toward securing a reliable and economically viable energy source for Virgin Islanders. Acquiring these propane terminals is crucial for our energy independence and resilience,” Bryan said.
“We thank HUD for their continued support and confidence in our projects,” Bryan added. “This funding is pivotal, allowing us to finalize a key component of our plan to enhance the territory’s infrastructure and economic stability.”
The USVI Hotel & Tourism Association (USVIHTA) fully supports the plans for essential and long-needed improvements to the airport experience on St. Thomas and St. Croix.
The Cyril E. King Airport (CEKA) was built to process 600,000 arriving and departing passengers a year. In 2022, more than 1.65 million passengers used the terminal. Although the numbers were down in 2023, arrivals of 285,150 passengers through April 2024 are 26.2% higher year over year. The terminals have not been upgraded since 1989 (CEKA) and 2000 (Henry E. Rohlsen Airport or HERA) except for the CEKA baggage claim area, renovated in 2014, and the HERA domestic lounge, remodeled in 2021. As the gateway to the islands for tourists, the airports provide the first and last impression for our visitors. As the territory continues to see an increase in tourist arrivals, there is a critical need to reimagine and improve the airport experience.
Visitors come to the U.S. Virgin Islands to enjoy a vacation. The arrival experience at CEKA is extremely challenging. Several planes landing within the same time frame cause long waits for luggage, congestion and confusion for travelers. The long departure lines at Customs and TSA, sometimes snaking outside the terminal, cause enormous frustration. Current procedures for boarding and deplaning need updating to streamline the process and ensure the safety and convenience of travelers and airport employees. Boarding passengers via stairs in the rain and heat simply does not satisfy those criteria. By modernizing the facilities at CEKA and HERA, both airports will finally compete with other Caribbean airports.
USVIHTA firmly believes in this private/public partnership (P3). During the bidding process, the only company that reached out to USVIHTA was AECON, part of the VIports Partners consortium that will partner with the Virgin Islands Port Authority (VIPA). AECON acknowledged the importance of gathering input from the tourism sector and the community regarding the challenges and requirements for a new airport. AVPORTS, the operating partner of VIports, has experience operating airports in the U.S. and Caribbean in a safe and efficient manner with a focus on the customer experience. Each member of the VIports Partners consortium has demonstrated expertise that will benefit this plan.
VIports Partners has committed to developing, financing and operating both CEKA and HERA in accordance with best practices at U.S. and Caribbean airports. The terminal redevelopment will include modern airport amenities, including passenger boarding bridges at both airports. Local businesses and stakeholders will have a crucial role in the plan by participating in an advisory team to assist with the procurement process and provide input to the design-build team. They will also participate in the airport concessions. The planned project increases employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for our community.
Although VIPA is entering into a P3 agreement, the airports will not be privatized; they will remain under the ownership of VIPA. Importantly, VIPA will have oversight over the airports’ private partner. VIports Partners will provide funding to modernize and improve the airports in exchange for a long-term lease of the terminals with operating and management agreements. This private investment means that both airports receive needed infrastructure upgrades without placing a capital debt burden on VIPA or the Government of the Virgin Islands. The P3 agreement ensures that the USVI gets a best-in-class airport developer and operator while remaining in compliance with FAA regulations and safety requirements. VIPA is working with VIports Partners to ensure a smooth transition for VIPA employees. There will also be procedures in place for VIPA to conduct reviews and inspections and hold VIports Partners accountable to the terms of the agreement.
USVIHTA commends VIPA for deciding to enter into this P3. We look forward to the long-awaited, necessary enhancement of the travel experience for visitors and residents alike.
–The U.S. Virgin Islands Hotel & Tourism Association is a not-for-profit corporation which serves as the unifying organization for hotels, guest houses, inns, condominiums, campgrounds, and other tourism-related businesses in the St. Thomas-St. John district of the United States Virgin Islands.
Public Services Commission Commissioner Laura Nichols-Samms (Photo courtesy V.I. Legislature)
Virgin Islands Public Services Commission (PSC) Commissioner Laura Nichols-Samms has been elected as the second vice president of the Mid-Atlantic Conference of Regulatory Utilities Commissioners (MACRUC), the commission announced.
Nichols-Samms has been a dedicated member of the PSC since November 2023, where she has consistently demonstrated a commitment to regulatory excellence and public service. This prestigious appointment is a great opportunity for Commissioner Nichols-Samms to build on her contributions as a leader in the regulatory community, according to the press release.
MACRUC is a key organization dedicated to fostering collaboration among utility regulatory agencies across the Mid-Atlantic region. As second vice president, Nichols-Samms will play a crucial role in shaping policies and strategies that impact regulatory practices and utility services. This appointment reflects not only their dedication and expertise but also enhances the PSC’s influence within the broader regulatory community, the press release stated.
In her new role, Nichols-Samms will be responsible for supporting the organization’s initiatives, working closely with other MACRUC officers, and contributing to the development of innovative solutions for regulatory challenges faced by member utilities, the release stated.
“I am excited about this opportunity, and it is an honor to serve as the 2nd Vice President for MACRUC,” said Nichols-Samms. “I look forward to working closely with all members of MACRUC to obtain insight from experts and seasoned commissioners for the industries we regulate. It will prepare me with additional knowledge necessary to assist our commission in creating efficient and effective policies that make a difference in the lives of our U.S. Virgin Islanders.”
ISV Aden Rojas gets a kill during match against Cayman Islands at the CAZOVA U19 Volleyball Championships (Photo by Sean Morrison)
The United States Virgin Islands (ISV) junior boys team overcame their errors and successfully navigated their way into the semi-finals of the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) 19U Volleyball Championships held in Spanish Town, Jamaica.
ISV took on a winless Cayman Islands (CAY) team in the quarter-finals. Though winless, CAY came out poised and ready to pull off the upset of the tournament. They jumped out to an early 3-1 lead causing ISV Head Coach Isaac Raphael to call an early timeout. The message got through as team captain Gabriel Rosa delivered great sets to all his hitters and they produced kill after kill. ISV won the first set comfortably 25-14. The second and third sets were more competitive on the scoreboard, but that was due to the many unforced errors ISV committed in those frames. The Virgin Islands had nine service miscues and eight wayward spikes but managed to come away with 25-21 wins in both sets. Jared Brown was the top scorer with 12 kills, and Logan Rogers had eight kills for the winning team. The win propels ISV into the semi-finals to play the top seed of Pool B, Trinidad & Tobago, on Friday.
ISV boys come together at the end of the play in the CAZOVA U19 Volleyball Championships. (Photo by Sean Morrison)
In the first match of the day, the Trinidad & Tobago (TTO) girls defeated Curacao (CUR) 25-19, 25-22, 25-12. L’fe Roberts was the top performer with 12 service points and 12 kills for TTO. Meeka Johnson added 16 service points, including seven aces for the winning team. Keziah Basilio scored 11 points on her serve and Sade Rosalia recorded eight kills for CUR.
In the final two matches of the day, Barbados boys dominated Aruba winning 25-9, 25-11, 25-8. Things were not better for Aruba’s girls as host Jamaica was not hospitable to them, cruising to a 25-7, 25-8, 25-5 victory.
Trinidad & Tobago celebrates after earning point against Curacao at CAZOVA U19 Volleyball Championships. (Photo by Sean Morrison)
The semi-finals are now set in both divisions. ISV boys are up first, taking on a strong Trinidad & Tobago team at 1:00 p.m. AST. ISV girls will be facing Jamaica at 5:00 p.m. AST. The games will be played on Friday at the GC Foster Authorium in Spanish Town, Jamaica.
To watch the live-action, click here.
Game Schedule – All Times Listed are in Atlantic Standard Time (AST)Thursday
5:00 p.m. Curacao vs Aruba Women Fifth Place Match
7:00 p.m. Cayman Islands vs Aruba Men Fifth Place Match
Friday
1:00 p.m. Trinidad & Tobago vs US Virgin Islands Men Semi-final Match
3:00 p.m. Barbados vs Trinidad & Tobago Women Semi-final Match
5:00 p.m. U.S. Virgin Islands vs Jamaica Women Semi-final Match
7:00 p.m. Jamaica vs Barbados Men Semi-final Match
Saturday
12:00 p.m. Men Third Place Match
2:00 p.m. Women Third Place Match
4:00 p.m. Women Championship Match
6:00 p.m. Men Championship Match
Education Commissioner Dionne Wells-Hedrington testifies before the V.I. Legislature recently about territorial public school projects. (Source file photo).
In a bid to reassure residents ahead of Monday’s public school openings, the V.I. Education Department released walkthrough videos featuring inspection teams, including Board of Education and Environmental Health representatives, assessing several campuses.
Despite the efforts this week to highlight progress, faculty and staff shared their own images Wednesday, broken ceiling tiles and chairs among them, claiming the campuses are not yet ready for students.
In a call with the Source Wednesday, Education Commissioner Dionne Wells-Hedrington highlighted critical concerns, noting, “New schools in old buildings are just not going to happen. Safety issues have to be addressed first,” she said, emphasizing the priority of addressing fundamental problems before cosmetic improvements.
Wells-Hedrington added the department has had to be clear and intentional with how it spent its local dollars, and sought additional funding from the U.S. Department of Education, successfully reprogramming over $15 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to tackle longstanding maintenance issues. This funding will support various projects, including perimeter fencing, security cameras, and the purchase of AED machines and first aid kits for classrooms, she said.
Of course, challenges will persist, she said, citing, in particular, issues with the modular classrooms that continue to be in use beyond their five-year warranty. “We’re seeing the most concern from the modular units, with deteriorating joints and roofing problems,” she explained.
Several classrooms, including 10 at Charlotte Amalie High School, have been closed due to these issues. Efforts are underway to relocate the skill center to the ninth-grade academy to free up temporary classroom spaces and similar concerns at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School are being addressed, with administrators ensuring air quality clearance before use, she said.
Air conditioning problems also plague the schools, exacerbated by the summer heat. Wells-Hedrington confirmed that non-functioning units are being ordered off-island, but those schools that were closed over the summer are now revealing malfunctioning units upon reopening.
Maintenance issues are ongoing, and the department is working with available resources. The newly established Education Maintenance Bureau is developing a comprehensive maintenance plan for the modular units, which will be presented to the Legislature and governor, Wells-Hedrington said.
Kitchen installations at several schools, including Lew Muckle and Eulalie Rivera, have faced delays, but satellite meal distribution will ensure students receive meals on time, she said.
Central High School on St. Croix remains a significant concern due to roofing challenges. “Once the contract for the new build of Central is signed, we plan to involve contractors in addressing the existing campus issues,” Wells-Hedrington said, adding that collaboration with vendors continues to meet the territory’s needs.
“Once the school year begins, I meet regularly with unions and educational administration associations to discuss ongoing concerns,” she said, recounting her immediate reaction to recent images of classroom neglect at Charlotte Amalie High School and being able to address the issues with the principal directly.
“I’ve dealt with maintenance concerns for over 30 years,” Wells-Hedrington said. “We keep pushing to ensure a safe environment and battling through those issues to ensure a good working and learning environment.”
The V.I. Water and Power Authority power plant located on St. Thomas. (Source file photo)
The St. Thomas-St. John district was crippled by severe power outages Wednesday, with a handful of feeders, such as 6A and 8A, experiencing back-to-back rotations. On St. Thomas, outages began mid-morning and lasted until 11:35 p.m.., when V.I. Water and Power Authority officials confirmed Unit 23 was back online and all feeders had been restored.
Two feeders on St. Croix were also hit, with officials attributing the disruptions to vegetation impacting the lines because of Wednesday’s downpour, along with lightning strikes.
Frequent outages have plagued the territory for months, leading to an energy state of emergency declaration in April. The current disruptions come as WAPA commissions new fuel-efficient Wartsila Phase 2 generators, which required taking three legacy Wartsila Phase 1 units offline for LPG interconnection work, according to the authority’s Communications Director Shanell Petersen. WAPA expects this work to conclude by Friday, aiming to restore sufficient generating capacity. The new units will add 36 megawatts to the Randolph Harley Power Plant, she said.
In the meantime, Unit 15 and Unit 27 are the only operational units in the St. Thomas-St. John district, providing 30 megawatts — about half the customer demand. This shortfall has led to rotating power outages, Petersen said Wednesday night.
Unit 23, which generates around 30 megawatts, is offline for repairs, causing additional feeders to lose power. The legacy Wartsila units generally supply 21 megawatts, but increased summer demand and limited solar energy due to persistent cloud cover have worsened the situation, Petersen explained.
“The authority understands how challenging these outages have been for everyone, and we want to assure you that we are doing everything possible to restore stable power generation on St. Thomas and St. John,” Petersen said. “We remain cautiously optimistic that these outages related to the commissioning of the LPG system will not extend beyond this Friday. However, we acknowledge that there continues to exist the possibility of mechanical failure of our older units until they can be taken offline for long overdue maintenance.”
WAPA is working with federal partners to explore temporary generation solutions, but additional funding for relief has not yet been approved, she added.
Lawmakers grilled the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and the Office of Veterans Affairs over their proposed spending plans on Wednesday, highlighting the need for greater transparency and efficiency as the Virgin Islands grapples with budgetary constraints.
The BMV faced tough scrutiny regarding its Personalized License Plate Fund, while the OVA outlined plans to expand services for former military personnel. Both agencies presented their cases for increased funding, but concerns over potential overspending and the need for more efficient operations dominated the session.
Virgin Islands Bureau of Motor Vehicles Director Barbara Jackson-McIntosh (Source file photo)
Barbara McIntosh, the BMV’s director, detailed her proposed budget of $6,056,910, which includes $3,056,910 from the General Fund, $1 million from the BMV Fund, and $1.4 million from the Personalized License Plate Fund. Appropriations and Budget Committee Chair Sen. Donna Frett-Gregory pressed for explanations on the PLP Fund, questioning why expenses appeared to outstrip revenues.
“It’s two personnel that are still on the PLP Fund because we don’t cut enough in the General Fund and the BMV Fund. But for fiscal year 2025, we are going to move those two personnel to the General Fund so the PLP Fund could all be used for the operating expenses of the BMV,” McIntosh responded. She added that unspent funds from the PLP would roll over to the next fiscal year.
“The expenditures sound like they are outweighing the revenues coming in. We clearly need to understand how this fund is being managed,” Frett-Gregory stated. McIntosh assured the committee that efforts were underway to balance expenditures with revenues and to improve transparency and efficiency in managing the PLP Fund.
The committee also examined the BMV’s transition to electronic services. McIntosh highlighted that average wait times had been reduced to 20 minutes, except during the last three days of the month when they reached 45 minutes. Despite these improvements, Frett-Gregory raised concerns about meeting online registration goals, noting that people still had to visit the BMV to obtain license plates. McIntosh anticipated that more online registrations would follow once most plates were distributed.
McIntosh also announced the recruitment of a public relations officer to spearhead a vigorous marketing campaign starting in September. Sen. Javan E. James Sr. praised the BMV’s digitization efforts, stating, “I look forward to seeing greatness at the DMV and must admit when it comes to digitizing government, I give DMV an A-plus. Continue the great work you’re doing.”
Office of Veterans Affairs Director Patrick D. Farrell (Photo courtesy of Office of Veterans Affairs)
Patrick Farrell, director of the Virgin Islands Office of Veterans Affairs, presented a budget request for 2025 that mirrored the 2024 request of $1,219,369. He detailed the allocation of funds, including personnel salaries, fringe benefits, supplies, services, capital outlays, and miscellaneous expenses. Farrell highlighted the OVA’s accomplishments, such as the Financial Literacy Series and Medical Provider Workshop for veterans, and provided an update on the multi-vault crypts project in the St. Croix District.
“We have initiated the multi-vault crypts project — a giant step toward relicensing credible, proper burial facilities for our veterans,” Farrell stated. He concluded by seeking support for additional services and facilities for veterans, emphasizing the need for continued improvements.
“Please help us to help our veterans and their families. We continue to assess our operation and think of how we can make this agency an even better-oiled machine,” Farrell said.
The committee hearing Wednesday was attended by Frett-Gregory, along with Senators Marvin A. Blyden, Dwayne M. DeGraff, James Sr., and Samuel Carrión.
DPNR suspended an officer in 2019 after he was arrested for sexual assault. More than four years later he’s still suspended but has now collected a vast trove of backpay and government employee benefits. (Source photo illustration)
The Virgin Islands government cut Carlos Aloyo three checks totaling $292,749.88 Thursday. Aloyo hadn’t been working extra hard for the money nor milking overtime rules like other extraordinarily well compensated peace officers. In fact, the St. Croix conservation enforcement officer’s windfall was the result of his being barred from doing his job.
In March 2023, Aloyo, represented by the United Steel Workers union, won an arbitration settlement against the Department of Planning and Natural Resources in which he’d claimed he had been improperly suspended after a 2019 rape allegation. DPNR did not pay Aloyo for more than a year until he filed a suit with the Superior Court July 15, also demanding interest on backpay. Ten days later, the money rolled in.
When retirement contributions, Social Security, and other employer-paid benefits are added in, the Virgin Islands government paid Aloyo $354,568.
In April 2019, a St. Croix woman told police Aloyo had come to her home one afternoon to return some personal items, according to a gruesome contemporary report that cited court documents no longer available online. An argument allegedly ended with Aloyo raping the woman — using his loaded government-issued firearm to silence her screams.
Aloyo, then 52, was arrested and charged with domestic violence-related assault, rape, possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a crime, grand larceny, discharging or aiming a firearm, and other offenses. He was also promptly suspended without pay from his job at DPNR.
Aloyo and his union filed a grievance May 7, 2019 contesting the suspension. Nearly four years later the case went to arbitration. The arbitrator said DPNR was within its rights to suspend Aloyo for his alleged actions but had failed to follow its own rules, which required approval from the governor for suspensions lasting longer than six months. The mistake meant the U.S. Virgin Islands owed Aloyo backpay, benefits, and seniority going back to Nov. 1, 2019.
By the time of the arbitrator’s ruling, criminal charges against Aloyo had long been dropped. The Attorney General’s Office requested the case be dismissed in June 2020. Superior Court Judge Jomo Meade left the door open to refile the charges in his ruling but to date they had not been.
On June 19, 2020, three days after the charges were dropped, Howard Forbes Sr., DPNR’s director of enforcement, wrote to the Division of Personnel requesting that Aloyo be fired, according to court records. He was not.
With the charges dismissed, the assault allegations were “nothing more than uncorroborated hearsay” and do not warrant continued suspension, the arbitrator wrote in court filings.
DPNR officials confirmed Wednesday Aloyo was still on suspension.
This was not the first time Aloyo had been suspended. The Feb. 13, 2019 edition of the Virgin Islands Daily News featured a cover photo of Aloyo helping set up a tent at the Agriculture and Food Fair while he was supposed to be working for DPNR. The apparent lie reportedly resulted in a five-day suspension.
Dignitaries and invited guests, including Gov. Albert Bryan, Jr. and David Hall (center left and center right, respectively) gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Orville E. Kean Campus in St. Thomas on Tuesday. (Submitted photo)
The University of the Virgin Islands held a ribbon cutting of its state-of-the-art School of Medicine classroom building and biomedical laboratory in St. Thomas Tuesday, according to a press release.
The event signaled a transformative advancement in UVI’s vision to establish an accredited medical school in the Virgin Islands. Members of the medical community, UVI Board of Trustees and the Foundation for the University, UVI’s incoming president Safiya George, and federal and local officials gathered to tour the facilities and hear remarks, the release stated.
The two-story, 33,876 square foot School of Medicine classroom building features an anatomy lab with virtual dissecting tables; a 100-seat lecture hall, large seminar rooms and conference room all with SMART classroom technology; a 1,200 square foot clinical skills lab for group instruction; six individual clinical skills rooms for private instruction; and 5,000 square feet of administration space, according to the release.
The adjoining state-of-the-art biomedical lab includes both wet and dry labs and will recruit national researchers and experts in biomedical fields of infectious diseases. The biomedical lab will also house the Biomedical Laboratory Certificate Program with funding from a Title III grant of $1.2 Million over five years, stated the release.
“Today’s ribbon-cutting ceremony underscores the collaborative efforts and steadfast support from stakeholders and philanthropists dedicated to advancing health care in the Virgin Islands,” said David Hall in his last official event as university president.
“The journey towards having a medical school has been a long and winding road, with many challenges along the way, as well as numerous milestones of tremendous success. The opening of the School of Medicine classroom building and biomedical laboratory and medical research and training center marks a monumental step towards enhancing medical education and, ultimately, the health and wellbeing of Virgin Islanders,” he added.
UVI’s School of Medicine’s founding dean, Tai-Hunte Ceaser said, “As a Virgin Islander who enrolled in Howard University, a historically black college and university, for my own medical education, I understand firsthand the difficult yet transformative power of access to healthcare education. I am truly excited to begin working in this building once accreditation is established which will result in UVI’s School of Medicine becoming one of the few LCME U.S. accredited HBCU medical schools in the nation and the only in the Caribbean.”
Speaking on behalf of the V.I. Legislature, Senate President Novelle Francis stated, “My colleagues and I are committed to this process by ensuring that funds are appropriated to support our healthcare institutions and their mission to provide quality care for our community. I look forward to seeing these spaces in action and for our Territory to reap the short and long-term benefits from the professionals who will take classes here. My colleagues and I are so honored to have played a small part in bringing this project to life.”
Offering his congratulations to the UVI community, Gov. Albert Bryan, Jr. remarked, “I think the theme of today that resonates the most with me is that of optimism, hope and faith.” Noting several major Territorial projects including UVI’s Medical Simulation Center and the ground-breaking of the School of Nursing facilities on the Albert A. Sheen Campus, he said, “It is evident where our intentions are in the Virgin Islands to create a populus of progressive and successful people…”
