Scholarship for Advanced Guyanese Education

For high achievers with limited means

Scholarship for Advanced Guyanese Education (SAGE) was officially founded in 2007 by seven returned ‘WorldTeach Guyana’ volunteers.  SAGE identifies secondary students with high academic potential but limited financial means, and provides these students with scholarships to help fulfil their academic achievements.
Each board member of SAGE, all US-based, has taught in secondary schools in Mabaruma, Port Kaituma, Kwakwani, Soesdyke, and further afield. The president of the organisation, Alicia Wilson, joined WorldTeach Guyana for the 2006-2007 academic year. She taught biology and integrated science at Kwakwani Secondary School. This was a period where she developed a love for the children here and saw their full potential but limited means of being high achievers.
SAGE fosters development by identifying students with a commitment to their country, high academic promise, and limited financial means, and provides these students with scholarships, while encouraging beneficiaries to work within Guyana for several years after graduating.  It also aims to target students living in the interior of Guyana, and allows educational resources to be re-invested in areas where development is needed most.
SAGE is currently funding the full tuition for four SAGE scholars to study at the University of Guyana.  Wilson, speaking in an interview with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine, said the group has also established a means by which individual donors can fund a specific scholar’s education.
The success of SAGE Scholars and empowering them to improve Guyana are our biggest success stories, she says.
“Our current SAGE scholars have a diverse set of academic interests, with Patricee Douglas studying medicine, Kevin Morgan studying law, Marcella Gonsalves studying medical technology, and Kaveta Mohammed studying international relations.  Not only have they met academic expectations, but they have also shown great promise by taking the initiative to speak to secondary schools about the SAGE programme, encouraging students to apply. The SAGE board is confident they [the students] can contribute valuably to the betterment of Guyana upon completion of their respective degrees,” the president noted.
Since SAGE is a relatively new programme, none of SAGE scholars have graduated yet.  When they graduate, Wilson hopes that they fulfil their commitment to working in and improving Guyana.

“As lifelong citizens of Guyana, we believe they have the best ideas of how to improve their home country.  We at SAGE hope to be there in a supporting role, encouraging them to fight for change.   In the interim, we are currently working with the University of Guyana and a former university lecturer to establish strong mentorship and internship opportunities for students, and will hopefully hire a full-time, in-country SAGE representative in the near future.  In addition, we will continue selecting new scholars, expanding our SAGE network each year,” she pointed out.

Additionally, SAGE is working to establish a mentorship programme, and needs local mentors for their scholars in various fields.  Similarly, they would like to establish a valuable internship, on-the-job learning experiences for students.
The SAGE members said the time spent in Guyana left a lasting impact on them. They became very close to many of the people within Guyana, and while it is difficult for them to return as often as they would like, they will continue to provide a way to stay working with the country that they grew to love.
Visit www.sageguyana.org for more information on this initiative or their Facebook page, Scholarship for Advanced Guyanese Education.