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Three Sandals team members have been awarded the inaugural Gordon "Butch" Stewart Tourism, Hospitality and Service Scholarship.The scholarship is open to team members across the Sandals and ATL Group, including the Jamaica Observer, Island Routes and Unique Vacations Limited's Caribbean offices and was created by the Stewart family, Sandals Foundation, and Sandals Resorts International, through its Sandals Corporate University to honour the company's late founder and chairman.The scholarships, which hold a combined value of more than US$41,000, will fund team members' pursuit of a bachelor's degree in tourism, hospitality or a service-related discipline."My dad always believed in sharing knowledge, and even before we had a Sandals Corporate University or an ATL Academy he was passionate about learning and development and about empowering people to become their best selves," Sandals' Executive Chairman Adam Stewart said as he presented commemorative frames to the recipients - Deidre-Ann Osbourne, engineering coordinator at Sandals Resorts International; Barbara Thomas, director of guest services at Sandals Barbados; and Michelle Samuda-McBean, wedding documentation specialist at Sandals Ochi Beach Resort - last Wednesday."This scholarship is a manifestation of his long-standing belief in investing in our team members and is a most fitting way to celebrate and immortalise his memory," Stewart added.The three were selected after a call for applications in June and an extensive review process."Deidre-Ann, Barbara and Michelle, I am proud of you. I am proud that you have each taken the initiative to pursue further studies and to invest in your development," Stewart told the three."I am proud to award you with the first-ever Gordon "Butch" Stewart Tourism, Hospitality and Service Scholarship and I have all confidence that you will excel in your studies, continue to represent the Sandals brand with excellence and motivate your fellow team members. Congratulations, and all the very best with your studies," he added.One year into her pursuit of a bachelor's degree in human resources at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Osbourne began the process of building her home. It, however, soon dawned on her that her single income household would not be able to sustain both her education and her dream of building her home. She thought she would be forced to choose one dream over the other and was convinced that her dreams of pursuing further studies would go unfulfilled.This was before she saw the call for applications for the scholarship and decided to apply. Now her gratitude knows no bounds."I am grateful and honoured to be one of the first recipients of this scholarship," she said. "This company has opened so many doors for me and still continues to do so. This is like a dream come true for me. I've always had a drive to improve myself and this special investment that Sandals has made in me will go a far way towards me achieving my goals. I want to express my sincere gratitude to the company for finding me deserving of this scholarship."For Samuda-McBean, the move to pursue further studies has been a long time coming and the scholarship could not have come at a more opportune time. She will now pursue her bachelor's degree in human resource management at The UWI thanks to a full scholarship."I have been with Sandals since 2004. I have grown as an individual and as a professional but I have always wanted to take my career even further. Human resource management has always been my passion and I want to be able to assist in the development of my fellow team members. Words cannot express how grateful and appreciative I am," Samuda-McBean said."Mr Stewart believes in dreams and in giving back and I am so proud that I was selected. The selection committee saw my potential and believed that I would not only excel in my area of study but also impact the wider team when I begin to work as a HR practitioner," she said.Thomas, who will be pursuing a bachelor's degree in international management also at The UWI, was equally grateful for the full scholarship to gain certification in a field she is passionate about."I have been working in management for the last 11 years and with the increasingly diverse culture at Sandals Resorts a global outlook is needed in order to be a relevant and effective leader," Thomas said.Especially thankful for the financial assistance after the uncertainty caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic, Thomas added, "I am overwhelmed with gratitude. I must express gratitude to God, my general manager, resort manager and hotel manager who have always supported me and pushed me to become a better leader. Lastly, Mr Gordon "Butch" Stewart, who made my dream a reality and who has touched so many lives and continues to do so through his legacy which lives on through our executive chairman."Following the elder Stewart's passing in January, Sandals Foundation, in a move to preserve and honour his legacy, announced the intention to create a scholarship to serve the company's team members and welcomed donations to further this vision. Five months later, the scholarship was launched with a call for applications.Heidi Clarke, director of programmes at Sandals Foundation, shared, "The Sandals Foundation is extremely happy and proud to have seen the launch of the Gordon "Butch" Stewart Tourism, Hospitality and Service Scholarship and to now see its first recipients being awarded. Through our work in schools and communities across the region we have made significant investments in education, one of the foundation's guiding pillars and key focus areas and we are especially thrilled to be able to present this opportunity to our own team members."We are thankful for all our donors and the Stewart family and extend heartiest congratulations to our three well-deserving recipients."Adam Stewart added: "This scholarship not only pays homage to our founder and chairman, but signals our commitment to continuing to invest in our team members. We have the world's best team and we will continue to support them as they pursue their dreams. I am incredibly happy for Deidre, Michelle and Barbara and look forward to awarding even more team members in the years to come."