GoodHeart | COBA to recognise Old Boys, outstanding students

Distinguished Old Boys and outstanding students will be recognised at the Calabar Old Boys’ Association’s (COBA) 2026 Cocktails & Awards Ceremony today. Scheduled for 6 p.m. at The University of the West Indies Regional Headquarters, the annual event will bring together the Calabar community to celebrate achievement and recognise contributions to the school and wider society. It will also highlight the Dervan Malcolm Journalism Scholarship, established in honour of the late broadcaster and Calabar Old Boy.

Among this year’s Reverend Ernest Price honorees are executive director of the Fair Trading Commission, David Miller; Dr Jermaine McCalpin; and politician and Paramount Jamaica CEO Hugh Graham. For Miller, the recognition carries particular significance.

“It is an honour to be recognised with the Reverend Ernest Price Award, one of the highest honours within the Calabar family. I am truly humbled and blessed by this recognition and will always strive to uphold our motto, ‘The Utmost for the Highest’.”

McCalpin similarly described the honour as a meaningful acknowledgement of his connection to his alma mater and its enduring values.

“When I was informed that I would be receiving the Reverend Ernest Price Award, I was deeply humbled by the recognition, particularly because it came from my fellow Calabar Lions. This award serves as a timely reminder of my lifelong commitment to school and nation, and the enduring legacy of Calabar High School.”

President’s Award

The President’s Award will be presented to the CEO of Atlantic Hardware and Plumbing Company Limited, Deanall Barnes; business consultant, Howard James; senior partner at Baker Tilly, Wayne Strachan; and Sonia ‘Dawn’ Broderick-Brown. Educator Loris Fox will receive the Reverend David Davis Award.

Academic awards will go to Alex Edwards (CSEC), Omarc Gordon (CAPE Unit 1), and Justin Wallace and Ras-Elijah Beckford (CAPE Unit 2).

The ceremony will be held under the patronage of Delano Seiveright, minister of state in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce. Dr Michael Abrahams, retired chief of orthopaedic trauma surgery at Broward General Medical Centre, will deliver the keynote address. The Honourable Michael Fennell will serve as master of ceremonies, with George Roper as orator.

The event will also highlight COBA’s ongoing support for education and opportunities for young people.

In 2025, part proceeds from the ceremony supported restoration efforts at Westwood High School, Calabar’s sister school, following Hurricane Melissa. COBA, its overseas chapters and partners provided $2.1 million in financial and in-kind contributions towards the school’s recovery.

This included $1.7 million raised through COBA’s Atlanta and New York chapters, Sons of Herb and the Class of ‘83, a further $150,000 from COBA and a $250,000 building-materials voucher from Atlantic Hardware. Continuing that commitment, part proceeds from this year’s staging will support the school’s PTA Breakfast Programme. Guests will also be invited to pledge contributions towards the initiative and the Dervan Malcolm Journalism Scholarship.

Launched in January 2024 to provide breakfast for students who arrive at school without a meal, the programme operates three days a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and has served an average of 109 boys daily.

Another key initiative is the Dervan Malcolm Journalism Scholarship, established to honour the late broadcaster and Calabar Old Boy.

The scholarship will support a Calabar High School graduate entering his first year of tertiary studies in journalism, creating an opportunity for an aspiring media professional while preserving Malcolm’s contribution to local broadcasting.

COBA will also advance plans to establish an Endowment Fund, designed to provide a sustainable source of financial support for the school’s continued development and the welfare of its students.

goodheart@gleanerjm.com