The Mercer University through its Representative, Dr. Richard Wilson, has offered US$2m scholarship to three graduates of Ricks Institute who were awarded Rick’s scholarship at Cuttington University.

Each beneficiary is entitled to US$180,000 yearly at Mercer University in the United States of America for four years. 

 Dr. Wilson disclosed that prior to the current scholarship; Mercer University had offered nine scholarships to students of the Ricks Institute in the tune of US$1.62million, who have also been beneficiaries under a four year scheme.  

 According to him, the current recipients include Isaac E. Mussah, Bendu Sherman and Mohammed Dukuly two of whom graduated 2010 while one graduated 2011 from Ricks Institute.

Dr. Wilson admonished students at Ricks to take their lessons seriously; be focused, disciplined and committed stressing that by such, they are bound to see and go to places they never dreamed of going before.

  Professor Wilson warned the recipients to make good use of the scholarship, noting, “Every opportunity for success is also an opportunity for failure”.

He promised to help the students to be adequately informed, well taken care of and given the basic requirements for their education.

Dr. Wilson also advised the recipients to avoid the statements of “I am trying because when Liberians say they are trying, it means they are struggling” but rather “pray for the success of the students”.

 

At the same time, the Principal of Ricks Institute, Olu Menjay, cautioned the recipients to do the best in their studies and put up good behaviors, emphasizing that they are not just going to be representatives of Ricks Institute but Liberia at large.

According to him, the scholarship is an annual award for best performing students of Ricks Institute with absolutely no fees being paid by parents of the beneficiaries and that vetting was independently carried out by trusted personalities in the Liberian society. He said the vetting committee overlooked tribe, tradition sentiment, social status and place of origin; reiterating that the quality an individual possessed as per the vetting process determined one’s preferment.

The three beneficiaries promised to do their best and exhibit appropriate behaviors and one day return to contribute their quota to Ricks and Liberia as a nation.

Meanwhile, parents of the three beneficiaries have urged them  to do their outmost in representing their families, Ricks Institute and Liberia.

Mercer University is one of America’s oldest and most distinctive institutions of learning, offering rigorous programs that span undergraduate in Liberal Arts and Doctoral Degrees.

While offering a breadth of programs found at much larger universities, Mercers maintains an intimate student-focused culture more characteristic of Liberal Arts. Its uniqueness is found in the way the university integrates five defining components of its mission: liberal training, professional knowledge, discovery, service to humanity and community. 

 Since 2007, Mercers has embarked upon growing partnership with Ricks Institute and Liberia. The heart of the partnership is Mercer on Mission - a program designed to acquaint Mercers’ students to developing world culture while at the same time providing a focused, rigorous study abroad experience.

Since 2009, Mercers University has extended full tuition and board scholarship to students from Ricks Institute. The four year value of each scholarship is US$180,000; to date nine scholarships have been awarded, totaling US$1.62million.