Honorable Mention Winner
Clevin Weekes
Florida Memorial College
Senior in Aeronautical Science
3.95 GPA

Clevin Weekes is rapidly realizing his childhood dreams of soaring his beloved airplanes as he resolutely uses dedication and hard work to soar to the top.

Weekes, 22, has dreamt of flying for as long as he can remember, but since his father is retired and his mother works alone to support his three siblings, Weekes knew that becoming a pilot wouldn’t be easy. Thus, when it came time to shop for colleges, affordability and a strong aviation program were both necessary requirements. “Ever since I can recall, I’ve been fascinated by aviation, by airplanes, by airports,” Weekes says. “That environment is very intriguing to me.”

Armed with some scholarship money, Weekes applied to Florida Memorial College, thrilled by the opportunity to study his life’s passion at a reputable institution. Since then, despite the ongoing struggle to make ends meet, Weekes has demonstrated his exemplary dedication and determination to succeed.

Weekes eventually accumulated a number of scholarships totaling more than $14,000 to help pave his way through school. He not only maintains a high GPA but also excels at everything he sets out to do. Weekes devotes himself to his well-deserved role as an essential fixture in campus life, climbing the ranks of the student associations he’s involved in and making a tangible difference on campus. “Florida Memorial College has been both my home and my community,” he says.

As president of the Honors Council, Weekes has demonstrated his ability as a leader, bringing participation in the program to an all-time high, as well as implementing exciting new initiatives such as the Honors Program newsletter, magazine, web site, and community service and fund-raising events. “He stands heads and shoulders above his peers as a dedicated and responsible leader,” says Randy James, English literature professor and advisor for the honors program.

Weekes is also a member of Alpha Chi Honor Society, the President’s Club, and a volunteer for the Black Executive Exchange Program, which escorts groups of black executives around campus and introduces them to students interested in networking opportunities. “In all my interactions, I’ve tried to maintain professionalism, discipline, dependability, and creativity,” Weekes says.

Weekes’ creativity is an essential part of who he is, and he strives to be a well-rounded individual. If his first love is aviation, his passion for steel band has followed as a close second ever since his father bought him his first steel drum. Weekes chose to attend Florida Memorial College partly for the added bonus of it being home to one of the only reputable U.S. university steel bands.

Now, Weekes entertains terminally ill patients with gospel music in the hospice where his uncle is a chaplain. The custom of serenading patients began when, as a 15-year-old, Weekes would assist his mother, a minister of the sick for the Catholic Church in Trinidad, by playing hymns on his drum.

Among Weekes activities is a passion for digital photography. He has accumulated 7,000 pictures of his college experience that he shares with the campus community. He also participated in the Caribbean Friends of the United Negro College Fund Radiothon, where he helped raise pledges for scholarship money to be awarded to Caribbean students.

Weekes was elected to Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges for 2003-2004, received the Miami Dade Aviation Certificate for Outstanding Academic Achievement, and won the Alfred Anderson Aviation, Picower Foundation, and Airport Minority Council Scholarships.

Weekes intends to continue his studies and earn a master’s degree in economics, although he hopes to make his career in the aviation field. During the spring and summer of 2003, Weekes worked as an aviation research assistant for the aviation department at Florida Memorial College, and as a noise abatement intern for Palm Beach International Airport, getting hands-on experience in the aviation field. Although he would love to pilot an aircraft and has as taken a few flying lessons, Weekes is putting off fulfilling that dream until finances allow.

Although Weekes receives some financial support from his family, he is almost self-sufficient, paying his way through college with scholarships, jobs, and internship savings. —MDJ

Contact Weekes at clevinweekes@hotmail.com.