Back in July, the Bahamas Financial Services Board launched the process to select an outstanding 2009 Graduate from within the School of Business, College of the Bahamas. The criterion for initial selection was based on academic performance as demonstrated by GPA. Additional criteria included COB and community involvement, special interests, further education, and work/other experience.

[The Financial Services Student of the Year](https://bfsb-bahamas.com/news.php?cmd=view&id=2846&pre=y) initiative has been a part of the School Outreach Programme of BFSB’s Financial Centre Focus (FCF) programme since 2002, and is supported by the College of the Bahamas, the Central Bank of the Bahamas and various Professional Industry Associations. The Selection Committees comprise representatives from the partner organisations.

FCF addresses issues such as (a) challenges impacting the sustained growth and development of the industry; (b) improvements to the level of service; and (c) attracting and maintaining qualified professionals.

SG Private Banking (Bahamas) Limited has come on board as sponsor of the FSI Student of the Year Award again this year, while Credit Suisse Nassau Branch is supporting the student awards programme as a contributor.

BFSB is pleased to profile the five (5) finalists leading up to the Awards Ceremony on October 22nd. Today we feature **Keithra L. Sherman – BBA Marketing**.

##FINALIST — FINANCIAL SERVICES STUDENT OF THE YEAR 2009##

Keithra is a 2003 Graduate (Valedictorian/Head Girl) of the C.R. Walker Senior High School, and received the Department of Education’s Northwestern District Most Outstanding Student Award, the C.R. Walker Outstanding Academic Achievement Award in Mathematics, the Outstanding Student in a Bahamian High School Academic Award, and the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Honour that year. In 2000, she won the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce’s Prestigious Student Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement.

Keithra obtained her B.B.A in Marketing from the College of the Bahamas this year, along with the Bahamas Fast Ferries Award in Marketing. Between 2004-2009 she was on the President’s/Dean’s Lists at COB. While at the COB she tutored Beginner’s and Intermediate Statistics (Levels 201 and 301); community involvement has included the Persis Rodgers Home and the Red Ribbon Ball.

She intends to pursue a Masters degree in the communications/marketing field, with specialization in Public Relations.

The other finalists for the 2009 Award are:

* [Kendra C.A. Culmer – BBA Accounting](https://bfsb-bahamas.com/news.php?cmd=view&id=2850&pre=y)

* [Jamere M. McIntosh, BBA – Economics and Finance](https://bfsb-bahamas.com/news.php?cmd=view&id=2852&pre=y)

* [Christina S. Murray – BBA Finance](https://bfsb-bahamas.com/news.php?cmd=view&id=2853&pre=y)

* [Khandise N. Smith – BBA Banking & Finance with Foreign Language](https://bfsb-bahamas.com/news.php?cmd=view&id=2855&pre=y)