MARKIDA SCOTLAND |

ST. CROIX — The University of the Virgin Islands “celebrated their employees with high esteem for 2015” on Tuesday, April 14, at the 41st annual service awards on the Albert A. Sheen Campus.

30 employees were awarded for their outstanding service and dedication to the university, with honors from employee of the year, perfect attendance and extensive years of service.

Guest speaker, Marilyn Brathwaite-Hall, thanked the honorees for their service and acknowledged that they had in them 6 universal ideals that shaped their lives: Career well-being,social-well being, physical well-being, financial-well being, community well-being and spiritual well-being.

“So when we recognize our honorees today, we understand that they have engaged — whether intentionally or not — these essential elements of their lives,” Hall said, “and have chosen to navigate successfully through the challenges, valley, and the mountaintop experiences of their career, social, financial ,physical, community, and spiritual lives to keep moving forward and persist in being apart of serving the extraordinary UVI family and for that we say Thank you for your service.”

Awarded for five years of service was: Maritza Belardo-DeCosta, Luis Carino Jr., Bernard Castillo II, Beulah Lateef, Margaret Maynard, Gabriel Ogunmokun, and James Gordon.

For 10 years of service, Glendaley Carrasquillo, Leroy Gardiner, Iren Hatchett-Sealer, and Lorna Williams-Sutton were awarded.

15 years of service was awarded to Celestine Cuffy, Ephraim Rodriguez, Angel Gonzalez and Donna Gonzalez.

Holly Gayadeen was awarded for 20 years of service.

Fracisca Barry, Maria Fleming, Maria Friday, Aubrey Washington and Nereida Washington received an award for 25 years at the University.

For their 35 years of service, Simon Jones-Hendrickson and Alan Lewit were recognized. Hendrickson was also acknowledged as a retiree along with Velma Tyson and Jillean Clarke-Webster.

Perfect attendance was given to William Gonzalez and Clement Humphreys and employee of the year was presented to Fiola Alexander.

Cherie Wheatley also presented W.O.W (We Overachieve Willingly) awards to those who provided excellence in service delivery and connected to their customers in a special way.

The ceremony concluded with words from Cleveland Tonge, followed by a small reception.