Sterling Optical Opens Its Heart
When you think of all the things you admire about people, generosity is right at the top of the list. Dictionary.com defines generosity as the spirit and action of freely and frequently giving to others. We need look any further to find two people who exemplify that definition than the remarkable husband and wife team of Joel Mahepath and Dr. Lisa Adams-Mahepath, owners of Sterling Optical.
The Adams-Mahepath Scholarship is now in its 23rd year. Joel and Lisa have given away well over $500,000 to 250 Virgin Islands graduating seniors to help them realize their goals in life through their further educational pursuits.
Sterling Optical has been serving the St. Croix and St. Thomas communities with the finest in optical care and the coolest eyewear since 1997. Their two shops are immaculate parlors of modernistic design, featuring beautiful paintings from local artists, and stunning display cases filled with the world’s best selection of eyewear, from designer brands to discount frames, for men, women and children.
When you step inside these beautiful eyeglass emporiums, you find the warmest of welcomes, combined with the most knowledgeable people who are more than willing to fulfill your every wish when it comes to the care of your eyes.
On the day the scholarships were awarded, at the St. Croix office in the Golden Rock Shopping Center, which was also simulcast at the St. Thomas office, there was a celebratory sense of excitement from the group of thirteen recipients. Gold and silver balloons filled the air, Lisa and Joel were dressed to the nines, as Jeffrey Canton, the Photographer, was on hand to record the festivities.
The St. Croix Times took the occasion to interview a few of the recipients and find out about their future plans.
“I’m going to UVI where I am planning on majoring in accounting,” said Yllyse Schjang, who graduated from Central High School. “I’m really into math. That’s my strong suit. Eventually I would like to become a CPA.”
Yllyse was an all-around brilliant National Honor Society student whose interests also included volleyball and softball.
Sj’Kinah Dujon graduated from Good Hope Country Day School . She majored in Chemical Engineering and minored in Environmental Science.
“I took physics, chemistry, pre-calculus, and the Cambridge courses in Genealogy that are new at Good Hope Country Day,” Sj’Kinah replied. “I am planning on attending the University of South Carolina.”
The St. Croix Times wondered how she had come to such elevated choices in her life.
“There is so much to discover in physics. It changes the course of humanity,” she replied. “I want to try to fix the earth right now.”
Ameer Norman is a dapper looking young man who graduated from Central High School. He was in the National Honor Society Club and the National Academy of Finance. He will be attending UVI to study accounting and plans to be a CPA or Financial Analyst.
“I took classes at CTEC in accounting and worked for Tropical Shipping in their accounting department,” Ameer said. “I really enjoyed the work. They told me they would hire me again. But I might eventually move to Richmond, Virginia where my brother lives.”
All of the recipients gave off the vibe of being highly intelligent and well-focused individuals who were eager to make their way out into the world and leave their mark on society.
“Education is one of our most important goals at Sterling Optical,” said Dr. Lisa Adams-Mahepath, in conveying her remarks to the group. “Education provides the chance for upward mobility. We want to thank the Virgin Islands community for all the love and kindness and the unwavering support it has shown Sterling Optical these past twenty-seven years.”
Joel Mahepath had two words he wished to emphasize to this year’s recipients: “Focus and Purpose.” And they were two words that could not have been better chosen. It takes a polished and well-intentioned team like the folks at Sterling Optical to realize that education is the singular way for young people to find their purpose in life. It takes people like Joel and Lisa to create the Adams-Mahepath Scholarship to help encourage young Virgin Islanders in their educational pursuits, while placing the emphasis on their need to focus on accomplishment as their guiding principle to attain their life’s goals.
