TCI News
TCI Community College celebrates its 24th Annual Graduation during its Silver Anniversary
#Providenciales, 7 December, 2019 – Turks and Caicos – The story began 25 years ago; the Turks and Caicos Islands Community College was once just a dream and today the College celebrates a quarter of a century. Many people would have been instrumental in seeing the evolution of the College to where it is today.
Mrs. Pamela Taylor, the first registered student of the College was the Guest Speaker. She quoted from Martin Luther King, “The function of education is to teach one to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.” She encouraged the students to remember God in the decisions that they would make for the future and closed with the scripture from Jeremiah 29:11.
The 24th Annual Commencement Exercise
took place at the Paradise Baptist Church, which saw 95 students being eligible
to graduate in this cycle. There were 20 Bachelor students among the graduates
in the areas of Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance and Management and Human
Resource; Hospitality and Tourism Management; Management Information Systems
and Primary Education.
Students graduated from various Associate Degree Programmes: Architectural and
Building Design Technology; Business Studies; Computer and Electrical
Engineering Technology; Computer Services; Culinary Arts; Early Childhood Education;
General Studies (Humanities); General Studies (Science); Hospitality and
Tourism Management; Marine Biology / Biology Minor and Primary Education.
The Faculty of Business Administration captured the Valedictorian and Salutatorian spots for two consecutive years. Ms. Frankira Forbes captured the top spot with Ms. Marjha Nazon following her. In the Associate Degree programme, Ms. Britiania Missick, another Business student, was named Valedictorian and the lone gentleman, Mr. Tyrese Saunders from the Faculty of Architectural and Building Design Technology captured the Salutatorian honour.
Kentavia Saunders and Dewandre Smith were the first Graduates from the Associate Degree Programme in Marine Biology and they have Scuba certification as well. Temiloluwa Olugbanmu became the first student to graduate from the Bachelor of Science programme in Management Information Systems.
Students would have performed well in their various programmes, Faculty Awards were presented at the Annual Graduands Banquet, and those students were:
Tyrese Saunders Associate
Degree in Architectural and Building Design Technology
Britiania Misick Associate Degree in Business
Administration
Deante James Associate Degree in Computer
Studies
Christofer Lugo Associate Degree in Computer
Studies
Nicholas Freites Associate Degree in Computer and
Electrical Engineering
Glunise Gustave Associate Degree in Culinary
Arts
Eleth Davis Associate
Degree in Early Childhood Education
Angelina Astwood Associate
Degree in General Studies (Humanities)
Rashaunda Cooke Associate
Degree in General Studies (Science)
Kayanna Gibson Associate
Degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management
Dewandre Smith Associate
Degree in Marine Biology
Chrissy Stubbs-Williams Associate Degree in Primary
Education
Chinedu Otuonye Associate
Degree In Tourism Management
Frankira Forbes Bachelor
of Science Degree in Business Administration (Finance)
Marjha Nazon Bachelor
of Science Degree in Business Administration (Human
Resource
Mgmt.)
Sandra Nemours Bachelor
of Science Degree in Hospitality Management
Temiloluwa Olugbanmu Bachelor
of Science Degree in Management Information Systems
Alecia Fenelus Bachelor
of Science Degree in Primary Education
President Dr. Hubert Fulford echoed words of thanks. He said, “This is a time of celebration at the TCI Community College. It is a time to reflect on how far the College has come and to look forward to where we are going.” He continued, “Congratulations to those who would have graduated this year from the College and we remember the over 2000 Alumni of this noble institution – those who are impacting every sphere of development in this country.” He said, “The Turks and Caicos Islands is proud of where we have come and we look forward to the University of the Turks and Caicos Islands.”
Education is everyone’s business and we honour our partners who collaborate with the College. We are in this together and together we will win.
Release: TCI Community College
TCIG knew from April that fuel factor could surge almost 80%; Minister says $500 cost-of-living payment was part of Government’s response
PROVIDENCIALES — The Turks and Caicos Government knew months before July’s shocking electricity bills that consumers faced a potentially massive increase in the fuel factor.
Minister of Information Technology and Energy E. Jay Saunders revealed Friday that Pelican Energy warned his Ministry in April that generation fuel costs were projected to rise from $3.09 per gallon in May to $4.79 in June and July.
That translated into a projected fuel factor jump from about 17.5 cents to 31 cents per kilowatt-hour — an increase of almost 80%.
Saunders said he personally advised Cabinet of the projected increase and presented options for cushioning the impact.
He characterised Government’s $500 cost-of-living payment as its “initial response” to rising fuel costs, before a separate fuel-factor subsidy was approved.
Cabinet records show Government agreed on June 24 to provide funding to mitigate the fuel-factor impact, with the relief programme approved July 8.
Eligible residential customers — those averaging less than $1,500 monthly over the previous three bills — are capped at 22 cents per kWh from July through October.
Pelican confirmed Friday that Government’s contribution was already applied to July bills, meaning the bills now triggering widespread public outrage would have been even higher without the subsidy.
Saunders did not disclose the programme’s total cost.
His admission that Government knew since April, however, raises another question amid the backlash: why were consumers not directly warned by Government about the scale of the approaching increase?
PROVIDENCIALES — New commercial Crown Land applications are facing a six-month pause as the Turks and Caicos Islands Government takes inventory of its holdings.
During Cabinet meetings held July 15 and 16, an immediate six-month moratorium was approved on the acceptance, processing
and approval of new applications for commercial Crown Land grants, leases and allocations.
The pause will remain in place pending completion of the Crown Land Inventory Review. Cabinet’s summary did not state what prompted the review or indicate whether availability of commercial Crown Land is a concern.
The two-day meeting also advanced major consumer legislation. Cabinet approved the National Fair Competition Policy 2026 and drafting instructions for a Fair Competition Ordinance, moving TCI toward stronger consumer protection and fair competition rules.
In Grand Turk, Cabinet approved rezoning land in the North West Suburbs from low-density to medium-density residential use to facilitate a new apartment development.
Cabinet also advanced fisheries reforms, water legislation allowing private and public-private investment, minerals legislation and appointments across tourism, health and finance.
Progress toward establishing a TCI Credit Union was also noted.
PROVIDENCIALES — Major development projects outside Providenciales received Cabinet attention on July 8, with Government approving agreements connected to the redevelopment of Dellis Cay and a resort development in North Caicos.
Cabinet approved a Development Agreement between the Turks and Caicos Islands Government, Desarrollos Hotelco DC Ltd. and
Desarrollos Hotelco Astoria Ltd. for the redevelopment of Dellis Cay.
The long-discussed private island development sits between Providenciales and North Caicos and its return to Cabinet signals another step toward redevelopment.
Cabinet also approved amendments to an agreement involving SPR LND Ltd. (Royal Reef) and TCIG Development Agreement for a resort/hotel development in North Caicos.
Other decisions included approval of the First Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2026 for onward transmission and the appointment of Cindy Ewing as Chair of the Invest TCI Board, effective August 1 for three years.
Cabinet also noted consultation outcomes concerning changes to business licensing, approved professional membership expenses for qualifying Telecommunications Commission staff and approved advice relating to the Interim Clinical and Estates Services PPP.
The July 8 meeting was chaired by Acting Governor Anya Williams.
Photo Credit: Royal Reef (Keith)
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