By Oral Ofori / TheAfricanDream.net

Bishop Kofi Adonteng Boateng of the Divine Word International Ministries (DWIM) Church in Springfield, Virginia in the United States (US) has instituted a scholarship scheme for deserving students located in the Alexandria public schools systems in the state of Virginia.

The scholarship award initiative is the first of its kind by the church according to Bishop Adonteng who told TheAfricanDream.net that his church has always felt the need to be socially responsible where ever it finds itself.

"DWIM has over the years been greatly blessed by God and we in turn want to bless and touch lives. Since 2009 our prime objective has been to bless lives spiritually and physically too. This scholarship scheme is to encourage the future leaders and their efforts to rise up the academic ladder."

Yvonne Dade, a senior of Mount Vernon High School with Ghanaian origins became the first recipient of the DWIM scholarship scheme on June 16, 2016 when she was personally handed a $3000 check from Bishop Adonteng at the Mount Vernon High School Senior Honors and Baccalaureate Program awards ceremony in Alexandria Virginia.

Bishop Adonteng who spoke at the graduation ceremony said the church had received a lot of equally deserving applicants to its scholarship but it felt Miss Dade was the most qualifying of them all. The Bishop told TheAfricanDream.net that "Yvonne has been through thick and thin, watched her father battle cancer, done menial jobs in support of her family, maintained her spot in the girls tennis team rooster and yet still manage to attain academic excellence."

"We intend to make this annual scholarship scheme a major feature of our ministries' outreach program because we feel the youth are the holders of our future and deserve all the push they can get to secure a better tomorrow in their strive to obtain academic excellence" — Bishop Adonteng.

Yvonne Dade was not the only excelling student of Ghanaian origin at the Mount Vernon High School Senior Honors and Baccalaureate Program awards ceremony: Phoebe Otchere and Pearl Brefo Sarpong were also awarded for being part of the US 'President's Education Award For Outstanding Academic Excellence (PEAOAE)'. Both were also Mount Vernon High School 'Early College Scholars (ECS)'.

Another academically excelling student with Ghanaian roots was Amankwaa Agyemang who was among the 86 PEAOAE honor students. The ECS honor roll students well 29 in total in the graduation class of 2016 for the school.

After the graduation ceremony, Bishop Adonteng said the church hopes to extend the scholarship offer to other cities. He called on individuals and institutions who were interested in supporting to reach out to the church located at 6715 Electronic Drive in Springfield, Virginia, or email them with DivineWordInt@Gmail.com

Source: Oral Ofori / TheAfricanDream.net


Watch Bishop Adonteng hand scholarship check to Yvonne Dade https://youtu.be/P8iO3cbBAKw

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