WATCH: Florida Prep Hosts First Bahamian Student Displaced By Hurricane Dorian
By Space Coast Daily // November 5, 2019
Florida Prep is in unique position to extend a hand to bring students to Brevard unaccompanied
SPACE COAST DAILY TV: Florida Prep’s newest student is Ricardo DeCius, a 16-year-old who is coming to the U.S. from the Bahamas after being impacted by Hurricane Dorian. DeCius, along with Florida Prep president Marshall D. Willman and Wings of Grace Ministries, Inc. pilot Ed Davis, who flew DeCius to the Orlando Melbourne International Airport – MLB spoke to Space Coast Daily’s Chris Bonanno.
DR. MARSHALL WILLMAN: As an international boarding school, Florida Prep is in a unique position to extend a hand and to bring students here unaccompanied.
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Dr. Marshall D. Willman, President of Florida Prep announced recently that the school is actively working with parents and alumni in the Bahamas to facilitate the arrival of five displaced students from the Abaco Islands to the Melbourne boarding school.
Speaking on the announcement, Dr. Willman said, “We have deep roots in the Caribbean, particularly the Bahamas; in fact several students from the island remained on our Melbourne campus during Hurricane Dorian’s track through Florida.
“After we viewed the devastation wrought on the Abaco Islands, our initial reaction was to join others in sending provisions. However, upon speaking with alumni and parents in Nassau we realized the impact of Hurricane Dorian will require years, not just weeks to rectify, and the schools are completely gone.
“As an international boarding school, Florida Prep is in a unique position to extend a hand and to bring students here unaccompanied. This allows their families to proceed with the task of rebuilding without worrying further about the safety of their children, their education or how they will pay for it; each student will be given free tuition for the remainder of the school year.
Our entire team is now mobilized; working with local aid groups to facilitate transportation into Melbourne, liaising with families in Nassau as they identify the students and arrange for their transportation to safe pick-up points and processing the requirements of the US Government to make this happen as quickly as possible.
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