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From:TheBahamasWeekly.com Community
The late Bismark Coakley left an indelible mark on the business community in The Bahamas and now an endowment fund at University of The Bahamas (UB), named in his honour, memorializes his legacy. The Bismark Coakley Endowment Fund is the result of a partnership involving UB, the Rotary Club of West Nassau and family and friends of Mr. Coakley. The scholarship is for Bahamian male students graduating from a public school and aspiring to pursue a business degree at UB. The scholar must also be an active member of UB’s Rotaract Club. President of UB Dr. Rodney D. Smith expressed his gratitude to the Coakley family and the Rotary Club of West Nassau for honouring Mr. Coakley in this way and for also investing in the lives of young Bahamians.
“Bismark Coakley has impacted this country in so many great ways. This is a way of making sure his presence always affects the growth and development of The Bahamas. Every young man that receives this scholarship will be a part of the life of Bismark Coakley,” he noted. Guided by this year’s theme, “Inspiring Our Youth, Building Our Future”, the Rotary Club of West Nassau remains committed to youth empowerment through education. The club underscored the importance of this initiative. “By creating this endowed scholarship fund, Rotary communicates a public, permanent and powerful message that it believes in extending access to excellent tertiary education to an increasing number of students as a national imperative….” UB will work with the Rotary Club of West Nassau to execute annual fundraising activities with the aim of building the endowment to a minimum of $100,000. Mr. Coakley’s long-time friend and business partner, Mr. Bradley Roberts, committed an initial $2,500 and subsequently $1,000 for the rest of his life, while the Rotary Club of West Nassau has pledged $15,000 over a three-year period. An endowed scholarship fund allows UB to plan, in perpetuity, its recruitment strategies to attract and retain the nation’s brightest students. In addition, it allows direct contributions to the long-term financial sustainability of UB.
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