UCCI PARTNERS WITH MYKONOS TO LAUNCH FIVE-YEAR HOSPITALITY SCHOLARSHIP AND HEADLINE 50TH ANNIVERSARY GALA DINNER

The University College of the Cayman Islands (UCCI) today announced a new community partnership with Mykonos, one of Cayman’s luxury hospitality brands, to create a named scholarship for Caymanian students and to secure Mykonos as headline sponsor of UCCI’s 50th Anniversary Gala Dinner in March 2026.

The package represents an investment of CI$12,500 over five years for direct student scholarships designed to strengthen the islands’ talent pipeline in hospitality, business and wellness.

Under the agreement, UCCI will establish the Mykonos Scholarship Fund; a named, annual award of CI$2,500, to be offered every year from January 2026 through January 2030 (five intakes) to Caymanian students enrolled in areas aligned with Mykonos’ brand and the wider tourism ecosystem, including Culinary Arts, Business Administration/Hospitality Management and Spa and Wellness Services. The fund mirrors the model UCCI has successfully used in recent private-sector scholarship partnerships to remove financial barriers for promising Caymanian learners.

Nanalie Cover, Acting President & CEO at UCCI, said, “As we mark 50 years of UCCI this academic year, we are very deliberate about partnering with Cayman-based brands that are investing in our people and our economy. Mykonos has a very high standard of service, and this scholarship helps us signal to Caymanians that there is a real, viable, professional future in this sector. This is exactly the kind of private-sector partnership that turns education into opportunity.”

Eligible applicants will be Caymanian students who have achieved a minimum GPA of 3.0, maintained an attendance record of 90% or higher, and can demonstrate clear financial need. In addition, students must show a genuine and sustained commitment to building a career in the hospitality, tourism, or wellness sector, as reflected in their personal statement, references, or prior experience.

Steve Ferry from Mykonos said, “Mykonos has always believed that Cayman’s hospitality story is about people. Their training, their creativity and their commitment to service. Partnering with UCCI lets us invest in that talent from the ground up. We’re proud to put our name on a scholarship that helps Caymanians qualify in hospitality, business and wellness and, at the same time, to stand alongside UCCI in their 50th anniversary year.”

As part of the same agreement, Mykonos will also serve as the headline sponsor for the UCCI 50th Anniversary Gala Dinner to be held in March 2026, one of the anchor events in the college’s year-long 50 Years Strong: Honouring the Past, Inspiring the Future celebrations.

Dr. Livingston Smith, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs and Workforce Education at UCCI, who is leading the institution’s 50th anniversary, said: “This is a perfect partnership: it fuels access to education for Caymanians, it aligns with an industry where Cayman is world-class, and it helps us deliver a signature golden-jubilee event. We truly value when Cayman businesses make a multi-year commitment; it tells our students, ‘we see you, we need you, and we’re investing in you.’”

UCCI has seen strong demand for sector-specific scholarships, especially in hospitality and tourism, as employers look for staff with both academic grounding and service-industry skills. This new partnership with Mykonos follows that successful pattern and ensures Cayman businesses continue to have access to locally trained talent.