FOURTY-THREE of the best and brightest graduating female students from throughout the Commonwealth of The Bahamas will convene in New Providence for the 39th Annual Honours Day Programme weekend of activities culminating with an awards Ceremony at Government House. This year’s theme is “Launching New Dimensions of Global Citizens” and Ms. Marion Bethel will be addressing the girls as our Keynote Speaker.
The Honours Day Programme is the signature programme of Eta Psi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. This year the international organization is celebrating one hundred and nine (109) years of service to mankind and the Honours Day Programme is celebrating thirty-nine (39) years of positive influence in The Bahamas.
Over the last 39 years, the chapter has awarded almost $100,000 in scholarships to the most outstanding female high school students in The Bahamas.
During the Honours Day weekend, the students will have the opportunity to:
Vie for the scholarship award and additional awards and incentives.
Participate in community service – This year students will be making dresses for little girls in Africa.
Represent their respective schools.
Meet past awardees – This year we have a student whose mother was also an Honours Day student. Receive career and college mentorship
The Honours Day programme was introduced in 1978 under the presidency of Ms. Mellany Zonicle. The idea was conceived by Mrs. Thelma McMillian a member of the sorority who had experience with a similar programme in the United States.
Initially the chapter invited the top three female graduating seniors from high schools in New Providence to participate in an essay competition and the winner received a cash prize.
In 1984, under the presidency of Mrs. Mavis Johnson-Collie, Family Island students were invited to participate. Two new elements were introduced to the programme.
The scholarship was renamed the Linda Higgs-Swann Memorial Scholarship in honour of the late past president of the Chapter, Linda Higgs-Swann and a scholarship to attend Success Training College was offered. The first recipient was Brenda-Lee Cornish of C. C. Sweeting High School.
In recognition of the quality of tertiary education in The Bahamas, the award was made tenable to the College of the Bahamas in 1992.
This year the Janet Jones-Ballard Family Island Valedictorian Award was introduced in honour of Mrs. Janet Jones Ballard, who was the International President of the Sorority at this time and she played a pivotal role in helping to establish the International Region of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
In 1997, the Sorority was able to obtain a scholarship through Janice Munroe Stubbs, a member, from McDermott International for the Family Island student with the highest test score to attend The College of The Bahamas.
The local campus of Atlantic College also generously donated a scholarship. Other supporters of the programme over the past years have been, BTC, Government House, Mr. Bertram Knowles of Nassau Stationers who has contributed prizes for all of the Honorees: the National Flag Carrier, Bahamasair; Southern Air, Western Air, Sky Unlimited, LeAir, Sky Bahamas, along with other charter companies who assist the chapter by ensuring that our Family Island participants receive air transportation to the capital.
Through the years the programme has become more elaborate. Students participate in an annual weekend of activities designed to motivate, promote and celebrate the accomplishments of the best and the brightest graduates from schools throughout the archipelago.
The activities include a tour of the University of The Bahamas, courtesy calls the President of the University of The Bahamas, a welcome reception, a general knowledge test, community service project, worship service at St. Michael’s Methodist Church, culminating with an awards ceremony at Government House.
The Honours Day programme has exposed the honourees to the many outstanding Bahamian females who have been pioneers in their fields. Honours Day speakers have included Dame Joan Sawyer, first female Judge, first female chief Justice and first female President of the Court of Appeal; Justice Cheryl Albury, honourary member of the sorority and a judge of the Supreme Court of The Bahamas; Dame Ivy Dumont, former Minister of Education and first female Governor General of The Commonwealth of the Bahamas and a cultural icon; Maria Govan, a Bahamian Writer/Director/Producer of film; our sorority member, Ida Poitier-Turnquest, Educator and first elected female President of the Bahamas Union of Teachers; Ms. Aisha Bowe, Co-founder and CEO of STEMboard and a former NASA engineer and this year we are pleased to have Ms. Marion Bethel, as our 2017 Keynote speaker.
