Maliqua Cherubin and Kamani Holder, along with 14 of their colleagues, are the toast of the Barbados Community College after being announced as winners in the Barbados Scholarship and Exhibition Programme 2026.

Cherubin, from the Division of Technology, and Holder, from the Division of Natural Sciences, earned Barbados Scholarships after gaining Grade As in all their courses and their Cores to end with GPAs of 4.0. 

Cherubin said she had her sights set on a scholarship from very early on as she was eager to pursue her love for anything in the field of robotics. She plans to attend the University of Waterloo to study Mechatronics Engineering, one of the newly emerging fields in engineering.

Holder was not surprised by the achievement, saying that after getting good grades in his first year at the college, the plan was to work toward a scholarship. His next step is to pursue a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), but he’s unsure whether he will attend the UWI Cave Hill or Mona en route to becoming a Cardiothoracic Surgeon.

Salena Rudder credited her faith in God and her friends’ and family's support with helping her achieve the Award of Excellence.

Speaking to the media after the announcement, Rudder explained that she had done CAPE previously but was unsuccessful in gaining one of the national awards. She said this fueled her determination to attend BCC and do better... and while she aged out of the scholarships and exhibitions categories, it was her single-mindedness that earned her the Award of Excellence. 

As to the next steps, Selena says she’s been accepted into the Toronto Metropolitan University to study English with a concentration in Creative Writing.

Thirteen students gained Barbados Exhibitions. They are Leila Archer, Tremaine Bynoe, Krystiana Depeiza, Cherisse Mallett, Aziz Mehter, Decara Prescod, and Zyanna Waithe-Marshall – all from the Division of Technology; Paige Corbin, Division of Commerce; Adannah Farley, Division of Computer Studies; Diamond Anthony, Technology and Division of Natural Sciences; Nyeka Gibson, Division of General and Continuing Studies; and the Division of Fine Arts duo of Savannah Small and Dominic Garner.

Reflecting on the outcome, Principal Annette Alleyne offered her heartiest congratulations to the students, tutorial staff and support staff who contributed to the students’ achievements.  

She also acknowledged the increased number of awards gained in areas other than the sciences, which traditionally dominated.  

“Seven exhibitions in technology, two in the performing arts and one each in other subject areas is a positive outcome not only for the BCC but for the country. It is indicative that what is being taught at the College is aligned with the direction in which Barbados is headed, as our country seeks to develop competencies in the technological field and other high-earning areas like the orange economy”, she said.   

Meantime, Chairman of the Board, Hon. Dr. Allyson Leacock, O.R., said that while the headlines tell a proud story, the fact that the awardees are spread across the college’s various divisions and departments is what is remarkable.

“A college that produces excellence across that full spread is not preparing students for one economy. It is preparing them for one Barbados is becoming. Sixteen names on a list today. Sixteen futures in the making. A young woman heading to Waterloo to study mechatronics. A young man on his way to becoming a cardiothoracic surgeon. Artists, technologists, communicators, entrepreneurs. This is a nation building its own capacity, one student at a time”, she said.

Dr. Leacock singled out the story shared by Salena Rudder, hailing it as a shining example to all. “That is what this institution is for. We are not only where the brightest arrive. We are where the determined are given room to become. Access and excellence are not opposing forces at BCC. They are the same commitment, seen from two sides”, Dr. Leacock emphasized.