Tanya Stephens has been awarded the second ever RDI scholarship. The Resource Development International scholarship was established in Jamaica in 2005 as a distance-learning option to pursue Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees with top British universities. Assassin was the recipient of the first RDI and is reported to be doing very well, he is even at the top of his class!

According to Reggae Country news, who first reported the story:

“The premise for the scholarship was to identify public figures who are doing something of substance, and this year Tanya won the vote,” said regional director of RDI North Caribbean, Aldain Reid.

Stephens released Rebelution on VP Records in August 2006, and its first single, “These Streets” stayed at #1 on Tempo’s Music Charts for more than 4 weeks!

She has already begun courses at the University of Sunderland in the UK, working towards a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management. She expressed deep gratitude for the recognition and assistance that will help see her through. A small ceremony was held at the Terra Nova Hotel in Kingston, where Stephens was awarded the scholarship. She told the attending press:

“Money is not the only thing to be taken into consideration,” she added. “Had it been left up to me, I probably would have procrastinated for the rest of my life. There wasn’t any system to accommodate people like me before. I tried on many occasions to go back to school, but was told I had to be there 90 per cent of the time, which I could not do if I wanted to pay for the course.”

Tanya Stephens Links

For more info about the event, Tanya’s responses, and the RDI scholarship, see the Reggae Country News report.
For more info about Tanya Stephens’ music, and to listen to tracks off of Rebelution, jump over to her music$pace page.

Tanya Stephens – Rebelution

Click the Cover to Buy Rebelution from Amazon.com

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