Shoe Shop, PAFS brighten East Kingstown students’ start to secondary school education
Five students of East Kingstown who were successful at the 2026 Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA) exams were all smiles last weekend as they received financial assistance to start the 2026/2027 school year which commenced on Monday.
At a presentation ceremony held at The Shoe Shop last Saturday, the students each received a bursary of EC$500 and a pair of leading brand name shoes of their choice in a joint effort between Professional Accounting and Financial Services (PAFS) and The Shoe Shop – businesses located in capital Kingstown and owned by chartered accountant Kevern Cyrus.
The five students were selected from a pool of successful CPEA students residing in various villages in East Kingstown. The process was aided by some prominent citizens of East Kingstown; and the final list of five students selected following further inquiries, eligibility and assessment.
The 2026 bursary recipients are: Athesian Henry of Walvaroo, now attending West St George Secondary School; Anais Knights of Roseau, now attending Bishop’s College Kingstown; Silas Mc Lean of Sion Hill, now attending West St George Secondary School; Ameriah Grant of Rockies, now attending St Joseph’s Convent Kingstown; and Malachi Marshall of Mala Village, now attending Intermediate High School.
The bursary recipients and parents/guardians expressed gratitude to Mr Cyrus for his benevolent gesture.
In his remarks, Cyrus, a former scholarship recipient, said the bursaries were one way of showing appreciation and giving back to the community. He explained that in 1991, he received a five-year scholarship from the St Vincent Marketing Corp, where his mother worked, to attend the St Vincent Grammar School. On his graduation, because of he brilliant performance, the Marketing Corp extended the scholarship by two years for him to attend the St Vincent and the Grenadines Community College.
Cyrus expressed appreciation to parents/guardians and family members who attended the ceremony in support of the students.
“I hope that this financial incentive will go a far way in helping with some expenses, maybe transportation, maybe lunch,” said Cyrus who was born at Long Wall and grew up in Cane Garden, East Kingstown, and has since relocated.
Cyrus also said that the idea was to help offset some of the expenses parents had already incurred preparing the students for the new school year, and to help last minute shopping for school books and/or additional school uniforms or school supplies they were unable to purchase prior.
Cyrus reiterated his hope that bursaries will help the students to get by in the new school term.
“Anything that you face, you can always come back to the Shoe Shop and we will assist you with anything to do with your education,” he told the bursary recipients and their parents/guardians.
