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The St. Kitts and Nevis Chevening Alumni is pleased to announce that Ms. Shanelle Simmonds of Beach Road, Nevis, is the 2016 recipient of a British Chevening Scholarship, offered to nationals of Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean region. The highly competitive scholarship which is aimed at developing global leaders, is funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office and provides recipients with an opportunity to study an all-expenses paid Masters, in the United Kingdom for one year.

Ms. Simmonds who is currently employed as a Foreign Service Officer, with responsibility for the Asia, Asia Pacific, and the Australasia Desk within the St. Kitts and Nevis Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will pursue a MA in International Studies and Diplomacy at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), in the University of London, starting in September. Prior to working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Simmonds taught French and Spanish at the Charlestown Secondary School in Nevis, for several years.

Ms. Simmonds holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in French and Spanish (Hons) from the University of the West Indies. She has also completed a two (2) year Mandarin Chinese Language and Culture training in Taiwan and recently concluded a three (3) month sojourn in South Korea, where she participated in the Korean Language and Culture Program for Diplomats.

Ms. Simmonds participated in the inaugural “Get Set and Ready for University Seminar” hosted by the SKN Chevening Alumni Group last year in Nevis and praised the group for providing a wealth of timely information, which greatly assisted her when she applied for the Chevening Scholarship. According to Ms. Simmonds, “The seminar was very useful, as it provided me with valuable information which allowed me to submit a strong application. The alumni was also extremely supportive and gave expertise advice throughout the entire process, particularly providing excellent tips for the interview.” She concluded, “I would strongly recommend this seminar to everyone who is interested in pursuing tertiary education. I’ve applied to several scholarships before, including this Chevening Scholarship, but I was unsuccessful on all occasions. This time around, I can happily say that the guidance and support of the SKN Chevening Alumni Group, made a huge difference.”

Ms. Sonia Boddie, President of the SKN Chevening Alumni Group was elated at Ms. Simmonds’ success. She remarked, “On behalf of the Group, I want to congratulate you Ms. Simmonds on this great accomplishment. We are extremely proud of you, as you have ensured that for the sixth consecutive year, a national of the Federation has been awarded. We are delighted that our assistance would have benefitted you greatly. We wish you every success, as you travel to London! Welcome to the SKN Chevening Family!”
The 2016 edition of the Free “Get Set and Ready for University Seminars” will be held in Nevis, on Saturday August 13^th, 2016 at the Charlestown Anglican Church Hall and in St. Kitts on Saturday August 20^th, 2016 at the NEMA Conference Room, at Lime Kiln in Basseterre, from 9:30am to 12:30 pm respectively. Applications for the 2017 Chevening scholarship is now open until November 8, 2016.Interested persons can apply at http://www.chevening.org/apply and can contact Ms.Sonia Boddie at rositaboddie@hotmail.com, should they require assistance from the group.