By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

GRAND Bahama’s Shanea Strachan is this year’s Bahamian Chevening Scholar, the British High Commission in Nassau has announced.

Selected from a competitive field of candidates, Ms Strachan will travel to the UK to pursue a master’s degree in producing film and television at Bournemouth University.

Chevening is the UK government’s global scholarship programme that offers future leaders the unique opportunity to study in the UK. These scholarships are awarded to professionals from all over the world to pursue a one-year master’s degree in any subject at any UK university.

Ms Strachan, who is employed at the ZNS Northern Service in Freeport, plans to return home and become a producer at the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas. She is also interested in helping to support the re-establishment of the Grand Bahama film industry, most known for Disney’s production of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.

She has a bachelor of arts degree in media arts at New Mexico Highlands University. She has experience in marketing, social media coordination, and production at home and in the United States.

British High Commissioner Sarah Dickson is confident that Ms Strachan will greatly benefit from the Chevening scholarship and return to The Bahamas with greater knowledge.

She said: “It means a lot to me that Shanea is passionate about returning to The Bahamas after her studies in the UK and particularly to her hometown of Freeport, Grand Bahama. Having witnessed the devastation from Hurricane Dorian, I am encouraged by Shanea’s plans to return home and focus on working in the Grand Bahama television news media and film industry. I am confident that the Chevening award will provide an opportunity for Shanea to hone her skills and bring her knowledge back to The Bahamas. I wish her all the best.”

Since 1983, when the Chevening scholarship programme commenced, over 100 Bahamian students have been selected for the award and have subsequently returned to The Bahamas to become leaders in diverse fields such as law, medicine, diplomacy, law enforcement, and the military.

The Chevening application process for 2021/2020 will begin in August. For more information visit https://www.chevening.org/scholarship/bahamas/