Fifteen year old Ricardo Gabbidon of 10 Gibson is the 2006 recipient of the Headley Delmar Scholarship. He was presented with a cheque for $25,000 by Karyn Samuels the daughter of the world famous cricket photographer. This will cover tuition, books and clothing expenses for the period. The presentation took place in St. Augustine’s Chapel on Monday, October 23 to thunderous applause from Gabbidon’s peers in the 10th and 11th grades.
Principal Rupert Hemmings informed the appreciative congregation of students that Gabbidon was the second recipient of the Delmar Scholarship which was awarded to a cricketer who not only demonstrated sporting prowess but attained excellence in academic pursuit and exhibited exemplary discipline.
The first recipient of the scholarship was Marvin Darlington who today is in the upper six form having attained the requisite CXC ‘O’ level subjects for acceptance and promotion. His presentation took place two years ago and was made by Delmar himself. At that time, it was a part of his 25th year as a cricket photo journalist. Mr. Samuels then said he saw it as a fitting way of saying thank you to Kingston College who educated two of his sons, and afforded a teaching and nursing/guidance counseling career for his daughter and wife respectively.
This year’s presentation was delayed to await the arrival of Gabbidon’s mother who unfortunately was unable to attend due to work commitments.
Ricardo Gabbidon entered KC from Tarrant Primary in 2003. He represented KC in the under 14 cricket competition during his first two years. In his third year at the school, the left arm off-break bowler represented the school in Colts and looks forward to doing so in the same competition next year. Music and football are his hobbies. His professional ambition is to be a computer analyst. Mrs. Janice Fairclough, Dean of discipline at the North Street campus, regards Gabbidon as one of the brightest and most disciplined students.
Rev. Abner Powell provided an interlude of KC Chapel Choir selections from a “boom box” during the chapel service and presentation ceremony. At the close, he brought the house down with laughter when he inadvertently pressed the wrong selection and played a Booker T. It reminded me of Rev. Ramsay’s Freudian slip in my time.
