Meet 2019 Marguerite Thony Scholarship Award Winner Rushane Dunn

NANUET, NY (June 12, 2019) — Worldwide Community First Responder, Inc. presented its third Marguerite Thony Scholarship Award to an outstanding Spring Valley High School Senior, Rushane Dunn on June 4th, 2019. This scholarship was WCFR's first scholarship given in the United States to a high school senior for outstanding academic achievement and future promise of a career in healthcare. Rushane Dunn will be pursuing his dream of becoming a neurosurgeon.

Rushane Dunn was born in Falmouth, Jamaica on February 19th, 2001 to Nadia Bennett and Nakia Dunn. At birth, his parents were told that he would most likely not live due to complications with his brain. However, after spending his first month of life in a hospital, Rushane survived. In Jamaica, Rushane lived with his mother and grandmother while his father worked for a painting company in the Cayman Islands.

Growing up, Rushane has always been a brilliant child. He attended Duncans All Age School where he always was placed first or second in his class and received multiple awards for his hard work and grades. His parents always recalled him having a love for science and finding mathematics easy, so it was no surprise to them when Rushane, from the young age of six, decided he wanted to become a doctor. After completing Primary School (elementary school), Rushane along with his father migrated to Spring Valley, NY. There, he began Chestnut Ridge Middle School where his grade averages were always 90 or above.

After graduating from Chestnut Ridge Middle School, Rushane moved on to Spring Valley High School where he faced a lot of challenges both in school and in his family life. During his freshman year, five of his family members in Jamaica died. This caused him to have to miss days of school for funerals, however, his grades all remained in the 90s. During his sophomore year, his family’s situation got worse as they were served an eviction notice. At the time Rushane lived in a two bedroom apartment with his father, stepmother and two siblings. Rushane at the same time was unable to walk because he had ripped his meniscus, his sister’s foot was broken and his stepmother was pregnant. However, his family was able to push through their struggles and come out victorious.

Though Rushane has faced many struggles in his lifetime, this does not cause him to be discouraged. Instead, it increases his drive to want to achieve his goals. In the course of his High School years, Rushane has taken ten Advanced Placement courses, one college class, and countless honors courses. Rushane is very involved in student government, as he serves as the President of the senior class. He also serves as the Vice President and a dance captain for Thespian Troupe 721, where he has had roles in three fall plays and three spring musicals. Rushane is also the President of the National Honor Society and a mentor for Spring Valley High School’s chapter of My Brother’s Keeper. He is also a member of the Key Club, Science, Social Studies, English, mathematics, and French honor societies.

Next fall, Rushane will be the first person in his immediate family to attend a four-year college. Not only will he be attending college, but he will be attending Brown University, which is not only one of the nation’s top universities but is also an Ivy League institution. Brown University will be receiving a student who exceeds standards set by others in pursuit of exceeding standards set at home. According to Rushane, he lives by a quote from Grey’s Anatomy “the carousel never stops turning.” Meaning no matter what bad situation he is in during that moment, because tomorrow still exists, there is a reason to go on. When asked if he is scared to be leaving home and taking on this new experience at Brown University, Rushane said “as a person who has lived in two completely different places but still managed to assimilate to those communities, I will do the same at Brown University. New environments don’t faze me; my thirst for prosperity remains the same.”

About Marguerite Thony Scholarship

Marguerite Thony is the mother of Founder & President, Jacqueline Cassagnol, MSN, RN, PMC and Vice President, Hans Cassagnol, MD, MMM. From Syracuse, NY, Marguerite recently passed away in 2018. WCFR is very grateful to everyone who donated to WCFR in her honor. The purpose of the Marguerite Thony Scholarship is to provide scholarship awards to high school senior and college students pursuing a healthcare profession. The award provides scholarships of $500 or $1000 to students in Haiti and USA. The first scholarship award was given to FSIL Faculte des Sciences Infirmieres de Leogane Sophomore, Santhia Jean Baptiste, and the second scholarship award was given to FSIL Senior, Marjorie Joseph, in Leogane, Haiti. The third scholarship award was given to Spring Valley High School Senior, Rushane Dunn, in Spring Valley, NY.

About Worldwide Community First Responder

Worldwide Community First Responder (WCFR) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit/charitable organization with a mission "to prevent deaths worldwide through education and training". WCFR offers two main services: WCFR Health Education and WCFR Training Program. The WCFR Health Education focuses on educating community members worldwide about fatal health conditions and preventative measures. The WCFR Training Program is dedicated to providing worldwide community-based first response and first aid training. WCFR provides its services worldwide to all communities regardless of gender, age, race, religion, sexual orientation, ability, economic and social class. For information on how you can get involved, visit www.wcfrworldwide.org Mailing Address is P.O. Box 747 Nanuet, NY 10954. They can be reached at 845.608.7409 or info@wcfrworldwide.org . Follow WCFR on Facebook and Twitter (@WCFRworldwide) for the latest news and updates.