The Kindra Smith-Webster Scholarship Award was formally launched in Anguilla on Tuesday, August 15, at a press conference presided over by Permanent Secretary, Education, Dr. Bonnie Richardson-Lake, a member of the Selection Committee. The first recipient is Zipporah Bryan-Bannister, an Anguillian Biology student now studying at Sheffield University in the United Kingdom.
The scholarship award, amounting to US$2,500, was made by Colgate Palmolive, the company where the late Kindra Smith-Webster worked in New Jersey but travelled elsewhere extensively in the line of her work. The young micro-biologist, who had been with the company for some ten years, unexpectedly died a few years ago sending shockwaves among her scientific colleagues in the United States and other parts of the world including Anguilla where a number of persons knew her and her family. She established the Anguilla Salt Company at Island Harbour as part of her scientific prowess and to promote the island.
Mrs. Maranda Hayes, a representative of the company’s Black Leadership Network at the corporate office in New York, said in part:
“Kindra was a member of the Network as well as the Global Micro-biology Network of Colgate Palmolive. Her life was expanded into our global region as well as Latin America, North America and South America.
“We were very proud of her and she was an exemplary micro-biologist. We are happy to make the award because she made a very big impression not only as a micro-biologist, but as part of the CEO’s Leadership Network. She was chosen to be one of the up and coming leaders of Colgate Palmolive in terms of micro-biology as well as dental health. With that in mind, we wanted to expand her exemplary scientific knowledge so we decided to have an Anguillian student as a recipient. It was unanimous that we decided that Zipporah Bannister should be the recipient of the scholarship 2017 award.”
Anguilla’s Minister of Education, Mrs. Cora Richardson-Hodge, said the Government and her Ministry were pleased that Colgate Palmolive had created the scholarship and that it was made available to deserving Anguillian students. The Minister, who knew Kindra from a young age, was pleased that “the award is a small token of the legacy she has left for us.”
She went on: “As we strive to develop our human resource capacity here in Anguilla, it is important that we continue to provide tertiary educational opportunities especially for our young people. This scholarship certainly fits into that category. We are also pleased that it is in the area of science which we need to develop further in Anguilla.”
The Minster read a statement from family members of the late scientist, including Mrs. Jane Wilson who was present at the event. It stated: “We are thrilled that her contribution to the area of science is being recognised. We wish to express sincere appreciation and gratitude to the Colgate Palmolive Black Leadership Network for posthumously acknowledging her academic prowess by awarding a student on a similar career track a grant of US$2,500. We also would like to congratulate the recipient of the award, Ms. Zipporah Bannister. We wish her the best of luck as she continues her studies.”
Replying, Zipporah’s mother, Mrs. Tina Bannister, thanked the Ministry of Education, the Colgate Black Leadership Network and the family of Kindra Smith-Webster, for the award. “Mrs. Smith-Webster stood out foremost as a female, an Anguillian, a scientist, and her contribution to science is commended and respected,” she stated. “Her legacy lives on in her contribution to science in that such an award allows young Anguillian students an opportunity to follow in her footsteps.
“Like Mrs. Smith-Webster, Zipporah is currently studying biology and plans to further her studies in biology. She is a student at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom and is honoured and humble to receive this award.”
