Fifteen-year-old basketball player Dylan Morris, has been awarded a scholarship to attend North Florida Educational Institute, a private high school in Jacksonville, Florida.
The scholarship will cover Morris’ tuition, accommodation, books, and transportation fees.
The 6-foot 4-inches Louise Garland Thomas High School student in Providenciales is referred to as a ‘combo forward’, because he is capable of playing both the small forward and power forward positions.
Recently on the Under-15 Turks and Caicos Islands National Basketball Team that travelled to Puerto Rico, to compete in the FIBA Centrobasket U-15 Championship. Morris ranked third in scoring amongst all players in the tournament with an average of 18.3 points per game.
Morris credited Principal of Louise Garland Thomas High School, Mrs. Kordell Campbell-Forbes, and is basketball coach, Mr. Gedeon Walkin, for molding him as an academic and an athlete, respectively.
He also expressed gratitude to his parents, Hon. Otis Morris and Mayelin Suardi, for their support.
Morris' scholarship was facilitated by Mervin Forbes, a founder of the Rising Stars Basketball Club, a non-profit organization committed to making a difference in the lives of the youth of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Morris' exceptional basketball skills and dedication to the sport were instrumental in securing the scholarship.
In addition to his scholarship, Morris was also recently selected as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the inaugural Royal Cup High School All-Star Basketball Game, hosted by the TCI Sports Commission to commemorate the visit of Their Royal Highnesses, The Earl and Countess of Wessex.
Teams East & West were pooled using the top 24 players from around the Turks and Caicos Islands who competed in the Turks and Caicos Islands Secondary School’s 2022-23 Inter-High School Basketball Season. Morris' performance in the game was outstanding, and he emerged as the MVP.
"We are thrilled to see Dylan Morris awarded this scholarship, which will provide him with an opportunity to pursue his academic and athletic goals," said Trevor Cooke, Secretary-General for the Turks and Caicos Islands Basketball Federation.
"Dylan is an exceptional basketball player, and we are proud that he will represent the Turks and Caicos Islands internationally. We have no doubt that he will continue to excel both on and off the court," added Cooke.