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Dr. Mark A. Brown Delivers Keynote Address at 39th Annual Scholarship Convocation Honoring 75 Bahamian Scholars
Crystal Drake01 May 2026
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Dr. Mark A. Brown Delivers Keynote Address at 39th Annual Scholarship Convocation Honoring 75 Bahamian Scholars
Contact: Crystal Drake, Office of Strategic Communications
Tuskegee awarded honoree Micah Moss a presidential scholarship to enroll in the fall
What happens when you invest early, instill confidence and provide mentors and a roadmap?
The Bahamas Alpha Educational and Leadership Foundation knows the answer. The organization has been preparing young Bahamian men for greatness and creating a leadership pipeline for 39 years, serving as hands-on role models, pouring into their leadership and character development, and underwriting full academic scholarships totaling more than $30 million for their best and brightest to attend top colleges and universities in the United States, including Tuskegee University.
Held in Paradise Island, The Bahamas, the event was attended by a wide range of local and regional leaders and dignitaries including the U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas, Herschel Walker and the Honorable Glenys Hanna Martin, Member of Parliament for Englerston and Minister of Education, who commended the work of Alpha Phi Alpha, noting that the number and caliber of the young men assembled clearly defied much of the widespread narrative about their potential, interests and future success.
Ambassador Walker recounted his own story about promising his parents that he would graduate when he enrolled at the University of Georgia as a football standout, but that he did not fulfill that promise when the opportunity to capitalize on his illustrious football career at UGA presented itself. Many years later, he returned to UGA to make good on his promise, knowing the power of education. He encouraged the students to keep their promises and to value the power of education, too, as he shared work he has supported for legislation to ensure that any SEC student on an athletic scholarship has that scholarship until they complete their degree.
The foundation represents a collaborative effort of three Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. chapters: Iota Epsilon Lambda Chapter (Nassau), Sigma Beta Lambda Chapter (Freeport, Grand Bahama), and Phi Mu Chapter at the University of The Bahamas, Nassau Campus. Together, these chapters have long played a vital role in developing and supporting the next generation of well-rounded, civic-minded Bahamian leaders. These students consistently achieve elite academic results by any measure, including the top percentiles of the SAT, ACT with grade point averages above 3.5, many at 4.0.
Dr. Mark A. Brown, President and CEO, recently served as the keynote speaker at the 39th Annual Scholarship Convocation and Honors Day, hosted by the foundation established in 1987 to support top graduating high school males through ongoing hands-on mentorship and financial support. The annual convocation recognized 75 outstanding, college-bound high school students from across The Bahamas for their academic achievement, character, and commitment to service.
“This Honors Day program is not just about scholarships. It is about standards. It is about process. It is about preparation,” said Dr. Brown as he began his remarks, noting the rigorous requirements of the scholarship program, including six months of writing, testing, interviews, leadership development, and discipline.
Tuskegee is Waiting
Moss
After sharing his own story of finding Tuskegee, with the support of his wise grandmother and a community that rallied to get him from humble beginnings in Cuthbert, Georgia to the campus in 1982, Dr. Brown made it clear that Tuskegee was transformational to his life’s trajectory.
“Somewhere right now, a grandmother is praying. Somewhere, a brotherhood is preparing. Somewhere, a place like Tuskegee is waiting—not for perfect young men, but determined ones,” said Dr. Brown.
Tuskegee University is, indeed, waiting to welcome a 2026 honoree to campus in the fall. During the ceremony, Dr. Brown announced that the university is granting a full academic scholarship to one student – Micah Moss, a senior at Queen's College, Nassau, Bahamas with a 1310 SAT score and 3.92 GPA who plans to major in Biochemistry.
“I want to thank my family and godparents for always believing in me. I also thank my high school Queen’s College for selecting me,” said Moss acknowledging the wrap-around support from so many that fueled his determination and discipline. “I also extend a big shout-out to Mr. Algernon Cargill, the chairman of The Bahamas Alphas Educational and Leadership Foundation, and all of the distinguished gentlemen of the Foundation, for giving me the opportunity to join this program.”
Moss added that meeting Dr. Brown and First Lady Gwendolyn Brown at the event was transformational.
“They truly made me feel welcomed and at home even though Alabama is hundreds of miles from the small island of New Providence. I was inspired by President Brown’s speech this afternoon, especially in his mentions of Tuskegee ‘answering the call’ time and time again in many different sectors. His words inspired me to answer my own calling.”
During the medal presentation each honoree shared a favorite inspirational quote, representing values that guide their inspirations, reflecting a maturity far beyond their years. Quotes included Nelson Mandela’s reminder that “Education is the most powerful weapon with which you can change the world,” Jim Rohn’s encouragement to “Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better,” and John Maxwell’s insight that “A leader’s true measure is not the number of people who serve him, but the number of people he serves.
The honorees have expressed interest in pursuing a wide range of academic and professional fields, including Aeronautical Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Accounting, Law, Communications, Economics, and Exercise Science/Kinesiology, underscoring the breadth of talent and ambition among the cohort.
The Captain of My Soul
This year’s convocation centered on the 2026 theme, “I am the master of my fate and the captain of my soul,” drawn from William Ernest Henley’s poem Invictus. This poem is a required text that every member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity must commit to memory. Dr. Brown became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha his sophomore year at Tuskegee University.
The theme emphasized resilience in adversity and personal responsibility—principles that Dr. Brown and other speakers emphasized are essential for young men navigating an increasingly complex world.
At its heart, Invictus asserts that no matter how harsh or unfair life becomes, an individual retains control over their attitude, will, and moral choices.
Dr. Brown reminded the audience that when Henley wrote the poem, he was enduring unimaginable agony, confined to a hospital bed, in constant pain, with the possibility of death looming. Nevertheless, he refused to be defeated by any of these circumstances – an example of self-mastery, resilience, defiance and courage Dr. Brown urged every honoree to emulate.
“The only questions that matter are these: When the night covers you, will you stand? When the gate is narrow, will you walk through it? When no one is clapping, will you keep going? said Dr. Brown.
“Because education does not reward intention—it rewards resolve. Legacy does not answer to excuses—it answers to effort. And destiny does not wait on permission—it responds to courage.
So rise. Claim your future. Do the work when no one is watching. And live so boldly that when history calls your name, it does not whisper—it answers.
And let the world know—by your discipline, by your excellence, by your education— that you are, indeed, the master of your fate and the captain of your soul.”
The Bahamas Alpha Educational and Leadership Foundation knows the answer. The organization has been preparing young Bahamian men for greatness and creating a leadership pipeline for 39 years, serving as hands-on role models, pouring into their leadership and character development, and underwriting full academic scholarships totaling more than $30 million for their best and brightest to attend top colleges and universities in the United States, including Tuskegee University.