NEW YORK — The Most Hon. Dr. Hubert A. Minnis, Prime Minister of The Bahamas, and the Hon. Sharlene Cartwright Robinson, Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands, were the recipients of Legacy Awards at the American Foundation for The University of the West Indies (AFUWI) 22nd Annual Legacy Awards Gala held at The Pierre Hotel in New York on Wednesday, February 27, 2019.
The award honours graduates of The University of the West Indies who have excelled in their chosen fields and made significant national, regional or international impact.
Dr. Minnis obtained the MBBs degree in Medicine from The UWI in 1980 and in 1985 completed specialized studies in Jamaica in obstetrics and gynaecology. He is a member of the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. A former Minister of Health and Leader of the Opposition, he was elected Prime Minister of The Bahamas in May of 2017.
Mrs. Cartwright-Robinson is the first female Premier of the Turks & Caicos Islands. A graduate of The UWI with a LL.B., she previously operated the law firm Cartwright and Co., and worked as a law tutor at the TCI Community College. She is the first female to have served her party as Vice Chairman, Secretary General, National Chairman, Deputy Leader and now Leader. She led her People’s Democratic Movement to victory in the 2016 general elections.
In accepting the award, Prime Minister Minnis said the honour has inspired him to continue his administration’s fight against poverty with a renewed energy.
“It is essential to use all of the energy and resources that we have to eradicate poverty, so that each and every person in the Caribbean territory will have the same opportunities to attain the same level of achievement that I have achieved,” he said.
Prime Minister Minnis thanked The UWI, the entire Caribbean community and The Bahamas for the special honour.
The Prime Minister also paid special tribute to his late mother “who is responsible for me obtaining this position today.”
The awards were presented by Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice Chancellor of The University of the West Indies, and Doug E. Fresh, chair of the 22nd Annual Legacy Awards Gala.
The AFUWI, a registered US Charity, annually hosts the Legacy Awards and other events in New York to raise funds for scholarships to The UWI.
