VICTORIA, Seychelles — Mercia Bonne, a 15-year-old resident of Takamaka, is the overall outstanding performer in the Basic Certificate in Maritime Studies programme run by the Seychelles Maritime Academy (SMA). Mercia was among 42 former secondary S5 students – 40 from Mahé and two from Praslin – who were given another chance to pursue studies in a chosen maritime field after failing to qualify for post-secondary institutions.
She was presented with her Outstanding Performer Award at a graduation ceremony held on Wednesday afternoon at the Seychelles Institute for Teacher Education (SITE) in Mont Fleuri. The ceremony was attended by the Principal Minister and Minister for Fisheries, Agriculture and Blue Economy, Wallace Cosgrow; former Principal Minister Jean-François Ferarri; principal secretaries; the director of the Seychelles Maritime Academy, Captain Mahesa Abeynayake; distinguished guests; SMA staff and board members; parents and partners.
‘I was not expecting to be named as the outstanding performer. I had imagined it would go to someone else. I am extremely happy,’ said Mercia. As overall outstanding performer, Mercia, who aspires to be a park ranger or an aquaculture technician, has been awarded a scholarship in the SMA’s Apprenticeship programme. Out of the 42 students, 32 graduated in the Basic Certificate in Maritime programme after six months of training from May to October 2025, while the remaining eight graduated in the newly introduced three-month Basic Certificate in Outboard Maintenance and Servicing programme.
