Queen’s College student Shannon Butler was named the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.’s 2013 Valedictorian during the organization’s 26th Annual National Honours Day Convocation held at Government House recently. Shannon surpassed 61 of the top male high school graduates in the country to win the title. The award came with a $6,000 scholarship to assist him in becoming a cardiothoracic surgeon, and a laptop from Custom Computers Ltd. to use in his future studies.
Shannon, who has a cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.95, has already won several awards for his success in high school. Earlier this year he tied with Matthew Grammatico of Forest Heights Academy for the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology’s awards for the Best Overall Performance in the 2012 BGCSE in The Commonwealth of The Bahamas and the Best BGCSE Results – Independent Schools. Individually, he won Best BGCSE Results by Island – New Providence, and earned the Highest Grade in the 2012 BGCSE Mathematics Exam. Shannon plans to attend the University of St Andrews in Scotland to study medicine.
The soft-spoken student thanked the members of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity for hosting the awards, which recognize the achievements of young men, and for providing the opportunity for them to interact with each other. When asked how he felt about being named Valedictorian, Shannon stated, “I feel good about winning this prestigious award from among the best of the best of male students in the country.” Shannon said that he looks forward to returning home after completing his studies to contribute to the further development of his country. As to what advice he would give to other young men, the top scholar said that he would encourage them to give it their all and study hard.
Tammie Hall Thompson, Sales Manager at Custom Computers Ltd. (CCL), presented Shannon with a Samsung Notebook at the ceremony. CCL has supported the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity awards for the past six years.
“We are happy to assist programmes such as this, which acknowledge outstanding male students in our country,” said Mrs. Thompson. She added that CCLunderwrites numerous other educational causes, including the Gentlemen’s Club, The Bahamas Primary School Student of the Year Awards, and also holds its own “A’s for Excellence” Campaign, which each year encourages high performing students throughout the country to enter to win exciting prizes, including computers and other educational tools to help them advance in their studies.
This year, for the first time, high school graduates studying at accredited local tertiary institutions are also eligible to enter CCL’s “A’s for Excellence” drawing. (For additional information and rules please visit www.AforExcellence.com.)
During the awards ceremony, Shannon and his counterparts were provided with a wealth of encouragement from an array of distinguished speakers, including the Governor-General, His Excellency, Sir Arthur Foulkes; Dr. Daniel Johnson, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, and Mr. Robert “Sandy” Sands, Vice President of Administration and External Affairs at Baha Mar.
The Governor-General congratulated the top male performers and told them that they are the future of The Bahamas. Sir Arthur gave the students a brief history lesson on how far the country has come since Independence. He told them to be grateful to God, their parents, teachers and the men of Alpha Phi Alpha who are willing to reach out and help them.
Ministry of Education Science and Technology
Caption: Shannon Butler continued his winning streak by capturing the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity 2013 Valedictorian Award. Earlier in the year, he won four top awards in the Ministry of Education’s National Examination Awards.
Pictured: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.’s 2013 Valedictorian, Shannon Butler of Queen’s College, being presented with a Samsung Notebook by Mrs. Tammie Hall Thompson, Sales Manager at Custom Computers Ltd. Behind them are (L-R): Dr. Daniel Johnson, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture; Sir Arthur Foulkes, Governor-General of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas; Mr. Robert “Sandy” Sands, Vice President of Administration and External Affairs, Baha Mar, and Mr. Dayan Bourne, President, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Photo by Edgar Arnette.
