Cerone White
Bajan pop star Rihanna will be paying it forward to some deserving students in Caribbean and the Diaspora with her new Clara Lionel Foundation Scholarship fund. The program provided financial support for students seeking to complete their education in the United States, particularly in health, education, arts, and culture.
Applicants living in the U.S., Barbados, Brazil, Haiti, Jamaica and Guyana are eligible. The scholarship will only be for persons accepted into a bachelor’s degree program at an accredited four-year college or university in the U.S. for the 2016-2017 academic year. Those interested will also need to submit a personal essay stating why they should be chosen. Application deadline is June 10, and winners will be announced in August.
This scholarship will be between US$5,000 to US$50,000, and it is renewable up to three years or until a bachelor’s degree is earned. Fifty students will be chosen, based on academic performance, leadership qualities and participation in school and community activities.
So, in case you were wondering where Rihanna came up with this unique name for her foundation, it derived from her grandparents Clara and Lionel Braithwaite. Rihanna’s grandmother died of pancreatic cancer. To give others a fighting chance, Rihanna has also made substantial donations to help fight the cause back in her home country of Barbados, funding treatments for cancer patients in Barbados who cannot afford it. The Foundation has also established the Clara Braithwaite Center for Oncology and Nuclear Medicine at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Bridgetown, Barbados.
