Ms. Tisa Donovan has received high commendation as the first VI national to have graduated and received a Master’s Degree from an Asia university as part of the BVI /Asia Scholarship programme.

Miss Danovan was recognised at a ceremony last week hosted by the Premier’s Office in conjunction with the Hong Kong Asia Office. Present students and newly enrolled students were also officially congratulated and highlighted.

Premier and Minister of Finance Honourable Dr. Natalio D. Wheatley congratulated Miss Danovan on earning her Master’s in Public Health from Taipei Medical University (TMU). 

Premier Wheatley said, “You have made history on multiple fronts: as the first graduate of the BVI Asia Abroad Scholarship Programme, the first Virgin Islander to graduate from TMU, and the first to graduate from a Taiwanese university. You have set a high standard and made us extremely proud”.

Ms. Tisa Donovan, recounted her experience as a student attending the Taipei Medical University stating that studying in Taiwan was life-changing.

Ms. Donovan said, “I had the privilege of learning in a world-class academic environment, surrounded with persons of all walks of life. To the new cohort of students preparing to embark on this incredible journey, be brave. This is a chance not just for an academic opportunity but a chance to discover who you are outside of the familiar.  Walking on faith is not easy, leaving your family, your comfort, and everything around you can be terrifying, but is on that space of uncertainty is where the growth happens.”

One of the highlights of the event was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Government of the Virgin Islands and Little Dix Bay Resorts, as a further demonstration of the Government’s support for VI students studying in Asia.

Premier Wheatley further encouraged other Virgin Islanders to follow their dreams and aspirations by seizing the valuable opportunities available through the BVI Asia Abroad Scholarship Programme.

The Asia scholarship programme supplements the existing 30-year relationship between the Virgin Island’s Financial Services Sector and the Asia-Pacific, and presents Virgin Islanders with opportunities to familiarise themselves with the region through a wide range of academic, professional, and cultural experiences. The scholarships are based on a three-way funding model between partnering Asian universities, the VI Government, and the private sector.

Students undertake studies in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, Environmental & Sustainable Development, Education, Media Studies, Tourism, Hospitality, Nursing, Public Health, Public Administration, Public Policy, Chinese Language (Mandarin), and other available subjects of necessity to the Territory’s economy.