Brock University President Gervan Fearon will travel to the Caribbean May 19 to 25 to meet with institutional partners and alumni and to announce new funding for international students.

The five-day trip to the nations of Antigua, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada will be highlighted by a Wednesday, May 23 reception in Trinidad’s Port of Spain, which became the twin city to Brock’s hometown of St. Catharines in 1968. The two cities have similar population sizes, are each home to a university, are surrounded by agriculture and house chapters from many of the same service clubs.

“The City of St. Catharines has long held a special partnership with Port of Spain and the country of Trinidad and Tobago,” said Fearon. “We want to continue that partnership by helping students from across all Caribbean nations experience post-secondary education in the Niagara region.”

At the May 23 reception, being held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Fearon will officially announce the Caribbean International Scholarship, which will be awarded annually to two students from a Caribbean nation choosing Brock University for their post-secondary education. The $4,000 per student entrance award will be given out annually starting in 2019 based on academic merit and financial need.

“Brock is proud to be home to nearly 2,000 students from more than 100 countries,” said James Mandigo, Vice-Provost, Enrolment Management and International, who will accompany Fearon on the journey. “We believe that this new scholarship will help open the doors to international post-secondary education to students who may not otherwise have that opportunity.”

The new Caribbean scholarship will be part of a growing roster of financial awards available to international undergraduate and graduate students who chose Brock. Earlier this year, the University announced a plan to cover tuition for international PhD students.

Ana Ferreira, a first-year Brock Kinesiology student from Port of Spain, said this will add to the “superior scholarships available for international students.”

“Once I experienced the Brock University campus first-hand, I was sold. The campus is very inviting and features a beautiful natural landscape, making it the perfect backdrop to complete my studies,” she said.