22-year old former Sundial School student Shahyra Evers, who is currently enrolled in Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College, has applied for Study Financing in order to continue with her studies at the aforementioned educational institution where she has a grade point average (GPA) of 3.52.
Shahyra applied last year for study financing and is awaiting an answer, but in the meantime left the country on January 2nd to continue with her studies.
Arthur Lugisse, Director of the Tallahassee-St. Maarten Foundation Inc. (TLH-SXMF) met Anne-Marie Gane, mother of Shahyra Evers, and was informed about how well she is doing in college. Anne-Marie Gane has been working at SXM Airport for 20-years and is currently a Customer Information Representative.
Anne-Marie Gane spoke with Lugisse about studying financing possibilities in the United States due to his past experience while working in Tallahassee. Evers mother is hoping that her daughter will get study financing from the Government of Sint Maarten as she can no longer afford to pay for her daughters studies. Shahyra has also exhausted her savings as well – money saved up while working – and is now hoping that she will get study financing in order to make her dream come true.
“I have used my savings to put my child in college. I am so proud of her, because she is doing very well. I have presented the various documents necessary for study financing, and these have been submitted prior to the January 15 deadline. We started this tedious process back in 2014, but we see light at the end of the tunnel,” Anne-Marie Gane pointed out.
Evers started at Walnut Hill College in September 2014 after applying and being accepted, to the Associates Degree in Pastry Arts Program. The College is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Shahyra Evers did five years at Sundial School attending the hospitality study. A former student of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Primary School, Evers completed Sundial in July 2011. Thereafter she entered the labour market and worked at Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino as a pastry assistant from December 2011 up until July 2014. At the end of her work experience, Evers was presented with an “Employee of the Month Award.”
After studying at the Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College for four months, Evers made the Dean’s List and was presented with the “Dean’s Award” for achieving a GPA between 3.50 and 3.75 for the September 2014 term.
Evers says the college she is attending is very nice and small with approximately 400 students; and where you receive individual assistance, and the approach is hands-on similar to the Sundial School.
Once Evers completes her studies, she is looking forward to returning home and working either in the hospitality sector as a qualified Pastry Chef or starting her own pastry business.
Shahyra Evers has received several letters of reference from Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino including one from the Executive Chef Iwan Pennings who pointed out how Evers started at the hotel with very little experience but over the time has developed some solid pastry skills and became the right hand of the pastry chef.
Pennings added in his recommendation letter that Evers has the capability to become a great hospitality professional.