QC Student is the 2018 Central Bank of Barbados SPISE Scholar

Shane Maughn, a 16-year Queen’s College student, is the 2018 Central Bank of Barbados’ Students Programme for Innovation in Science and Engineering (SPISE) scholar. Through his scholarship, the aspiring engineer will take part in a four-week residential programme for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) students.

“It honestly was amazing to be selected to do this programme. It’s something that will really open your eyes to the various types of science that are available to you,” Maughn said of winning the scholarship. He added that he was looking forward to interacting with other secondary school students from across the region. “I think it will be an interesting opportunity because of how diverse the Caribbean is. And because the way they are taught and exposed to science is different, their approach is something I will be able to learn from.”

Detailing the application process for SPISE, Maughn revealed that in addition to having to submit his reports and Caribbean Examinations Counsel (CXC) certificates, he was required to pen four essays on a range of topics, including one explaining how science can positively impact the Caribbean. In his submission, he suggested that engineering can help to design and build houses and roads that can better withstand hurricanes and other natural disasters.

Another of his application essays required him to share something about himself he wanted people to know, so he chose to talk about his interest in art, revealing that for the past three years, he has taken part in a summer art programme, studying animation and film.

Indeed, while Maughn is passionate about science because of the way it can find creative solutions to problems, he is also something of a young Renaissance man. His interest in the visual arts also extends to drawing, and he plays chess, even representing Barbados in that discipline at the CARIFTA Games. His Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) results are also a testament to his well-roundedness. He obtained 10 Grade Ones, among them History and French, and a Grade Two in Religious Knowledge, which he sat in third form. Those results saw him named the top CSEC student at his school last year.

Maughn, who has followed in the footsteps of Jonathan Farnum and Matthew Clarke to become the third consecutive Central Bank SPISE scholar from Queen’s College, was quick to praise the school’s teachers. “All of the teachers at QC are honestly extraordinary in their approach to teaching.” He also expressed his gratitude to his mother and father, saying “I want to say thank you to my parents. They have always encouraged me and allowed me to pursue whatever I want.”

SPISE is organised by the Caribbean Science Foundation. The 2018 programme runs from July 14 to August 10 at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill.