Help Charles' Grad School Journey
Thank you to everyone who shared, tagged and contributed to us achieving this tutition goal! I just contacted the Europubhealth+ Program to acquire wire transfer details to finalize tuition payment for this amazing public health opportunity! I am humbled and my heart escatic over your outpouring of support.
To those of you interested in my next steps: I am now focusing all efforts towards savings and seeking grants/loans towards my immigration/moving expenses to the UK.
To support my visa application I require proof of: £9,135 (approx. $12,000) for living expenses over 9 months.
The latter amount is the minimum required in order to apply for a UK Tier 4 student visa.
This amount does not take into account:
a) $600 towards UK visa application costs
b) $300 towards UK NHS (National Health Insurance)
b) $1200 towards air travel to the UK
c) $500-800 towards books and other educational expenses
d) $2500 towards incidentials
For a total of: $17,400.
Currently, I have managed to secure in pledges and donations and savings: close to $14400.00 (leaving a gap of $3000).
Any support above my GoFundMe tuition fundraiser, will go towards closing this gap for Visa and Immigration costs.
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“I have known Charles for over two and a half years, as his supervisor from the start of his internship in September 2014, to his transition as a consultant at the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization country office for The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands in December 2014. He has consistently demonstrated exceptional work ethic, integrity, and ingenuity in the execution of his assignments and projects. Charles’ honesty, diligence and proactivity, has not only earned my respect, but has also garnered esteem from our national and international colleagues. He has shown the requisite qualities to excel within a team environment, as well as inspire excellence in others by his leadership. He will be able to compete in any demanding course of study. And extending him this opportunity will certainly ensure continued development of leadership and technical capacity for the communities in The Bahamas and this region.”
- Dr. Gerry Eijkemans - Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization Representative to Mexico (PAHO/WHO Representative to The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands - 2011-2016)
"I write of behalf of a young Bahamian public servant, Mr. Charles Hamilton, who has been recently accepted into the Erasmus Mundus Europubhealth+ program and is seeking assistance with funding his studies. Mr. Hamilton has demonstrated strong commitment to the development of The Bahamas over the past three years through the significant role he has played in public health policy implementation. Mr. Hamilton recognizes the importance of the field of educational donation. Consequently, in addition to returning to The Bahamas to help further develop the field of public health, he has expressed the desire to replenish assistance given to him through committing to providing mentorship and supporting the academic and professional development of other Bahamians. I hope you will give favorable consideration to supporting Mr. Hamilton’s study as I have no doubt it will represent an investment in the development of a nation builder for The Bahamas."
- H.E. Dr. Eugene G. Newry - Ambassador to the United States of America and Mexico of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
“I am honoured to write on behalf of Mr. Charles Hamilton, a diligent, young, Bahamian national. I have had the privilege of working with Charles for more than one year at the National Health Insurance Secretariat. Charles has offered sage and intelligent advice, in discharging his duties. In supporting our Government’s step towards achieving Universal Health Coverage for all our citizens, Charles has been resourceful, dependable, and not short of the skill sets required to think out of the box in this paradigm shifting national initiaitive . Highly regarded by his peers, Mr. Hamilton’s skills are noteworthy and I have no doubt the award he is pursuing will assist him greatly in realizing a post-graduate degree to further prepare him for a senior post in this highly competitive field of health systems management. I recommend him without hesitation.”
- Mr. Peter Deveaux-Isaacs - Permanent Secretary for the National Health Insurance Secretariat (NHI Bahamas Program).
“I have known Charles for 6 years, as a student in classes I teach, as a member of the Executive of the College of Biological Sciences Student Council here at the University of Guelph and since graduation, as a visitor on several occasions to the University. In class, Charles was an excellent student - intelligent and highly articulate. He did particularly well in BIOM*4300, Biomedical Communications. It is essentially a graduate course translated back into the undergraduate, with a written assignment almost every week, student seminar presentations and teaching assignments. Needless to say, such a course selects for students who are ambitious and want to develop their abilities as much as possible. Charles impressed me a great deal over the semester because it is clear that this style of learning is something that he both enjoys and is really good at. Since graduation, he has stayed in contact, seeking advice and letting me know the progress of his career in the Bahamas. While I think he has surprised himself in terms of how he has been able to fairly rapidly assume a leadership role in public health programs in the Bahamas, I personally was not surprised: the potential was always there.
He has more maturity than most students his age and is the kind of person who I think people naturally gravitate to and will I think be successful at whatever he decides to do”
Neil J. MacLusky, Ph.D
Professor and Chair
Dept. of Biomedical Sciences
University of Guelph
Hi Friends and Potential Funding Partner!
My name is Charles Hamilton, first in my family to achieve a undergraduate education and a passionate young, Bahamian dedicated to country building and mentorship.
I was recently granted the honour of being accepted into the Erasmus Mundus Europubhealth+ program.
This very competitive program, since it's inception 10 years ago, has had just over 250 alumni from over 70 countries that have participated in the course of study. I would be the first male (and second person) from The Bahamas to matriculate through the program, in a class size of just approximately 35 students.
I was placed on a reserve list for a scholarship (among top applicants); however, I recently had to accept my offer to the program as a self-funded student to secure my place in this course of study.
The Europubhealth+ program is an international mobility consortium located in the European Union. The dual Master's program will have me experience studies at the University of Sheffield - School of Health and Related Research (United Kingdom) in my first year, the EHESP School of Public Health – (Rennes, France), where I will participate in research modules between my first and second year, and where I will also defend a thesis at the end of my second year and finally the Jagiellonian University Medical College in Krakow (Poland) for specialization in Governance of Health Systems in Transition.
This GoFundMe has been established to address my tuition gap for my first year of study: €8000 (approx. $8800). This amount needs to be paid before June 15th and I have set a fundraising deadline of May 31st, in order to complete my registration as a self-funded student and access the documents neccessary to process my UK student visa - to begin my studies in September 2017.
Student visa processing times can vary incredibly during the summer and with recent changes in the UK's move to leave the EU (Brexit), it is likely their immigration offices will experience a significant increase in demand for processing immigration documents.
I am currently saving and seeking grants/loans towards my remaining expenses to support my visa application: £9,135 (approx. $12,000) for living expenses over 9 months. The latter amount is the minimum required in order to apply for a UK Tier 4 student visa.
While, I am actively pursuing and applying to all avenues for funding locally and internationally, and ask if you are aware of any grant, scholarship, and fellowship, no matter the size, let me know, as it will go a long way in supporting my professional and personal goals.
Being independent and hardworking, it is difficult to ask for help. But I believe an opportunity this big is worth fighting for. If all of my Facebook friends contributed just $10, we could reach my goal. Whether or not you are able to contribute, please share this link so your friends can join in supporting our goal.
With your donation, please know that you have my sincere thanks and gratitude. I will be open to providing in-kind support in the form of strategic communication advice (presentations, traditional, social media, resume critiques), volunteer hours, or mentorship in the field of local and international public health.
I believe that your investment into my professional studies will see a significant return on investment for The Bahamas. Having been the recipient of prestigious national scholarship awards in the past, a Bahamas National Scholar (worth $10,000/year) and Lyford Cay Foundation Scholar ($12,500/year), I followed through in my commitment to return to The Bahamas after my studies and invest in the development of the country. I believe my investment into the country over the past three years proves for itself.
I was the youngest person hired at the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) Bahamas and Turks and Caicos country office, to immediately transition from an intern to consultant and with the Government of The Bahamas for the implementation of National Health Insurance/Universal Health Coverage.
I successfully managed many health communication activities and collaborated closely with international public health professionals and consultants, to develop modules around public health strategies & health communication.
My employers and consultants identified my strong aptitude & unique skillset as a Communications professional with a Biomedical Science background, as vital in shaping many health strategies, policies & communication messages.
With this in mind, my acceptance into the Europubhealth+ program comes at a crucial time, as the multi-year NHI Bahamas program being put forward by The Bahamas government is being rolled out.
I would be in the perfect position, after the completion of my studies, to engage with health networks in the country to further strengthen health policies, communication with the public, and creating stronger and more robust health system for the people of The Bahamas.
At the same time, the Europubhealth+ program will connect me with a global network to help establish me a multisectoral NGO, following my studies, to provide ongoing support and personal development of health policy professionals in The Bahamas and the Caribbean.
Additionally, I strongly believe in being a “servant leader” and giving back to my community. I plan to mentor individuals to consider fields in health policy, public health and health/risk communication and act as a strong ambassador for The Bahamas while participating in my studies and practicums in Europe.
I want to see my country develop beyond persons believing the only way they can contribute to the development of health and social issues, is by being a doctor. Strong local health policy developers, health communicators and health consultants, will be necessary for the country to advance in its long term plans.
The Europubhealth+ Program is where I need to be. I strongly believe this program best compliments my academic background, professional experience and unique skillset in public health policy & communication.
I have the passion and the drive to complete the courses. I can provide an international and professional context to challenges and solutions to health issues in The Americas. I will be a strong ambassador for The Bahamas and I am dedicated to giving back to the development of our country.
I look forward to your assistance in helping me to achieve this goal by investing into my future.
Kind regards,
N. Charles Hamilton
Masters of Public Health Candidate
Europubhealth+ Program
PS: As a matter of transparency, I wish to highlight that I have Kenton Meronard as a benficiary in this campaign.
Kenton is an illustrious scholarship student that I mentored during my time at St. Andrew's School, who has gone on to be a founding member of the St. Andrew's Scholarship Student Alumni Foundation and a graduate research student.
He has received several national scholarships and international commendations for his studies.
Kenton is assisting me by being a beneficiary to facilitate transfer of collected funds into my account, as GoFundMe, does not allow direct withdrawl into my account without a US Social Security Number (as I am not a US citizen).
Kenton has been ever vigilant in providing updates to me on the transfers and I can provide persons with documents highlighting and confirming deposits of the funds into my account.
Thank you Kenton for your support.
