Rapper and Mathematician Allen Mullings is Montserrat’s 2020 Island Scholar

Allen Mullings was announced Monday as the 2020 Montserrat Island Scholarship awardee to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Science at the Michigan State University.

Mullings is a former featured artists on Discover Montserrat’s Discover Lounge: Rap Edition.

The Ministry of Education originally deferred the scholarship due to the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic but is pushing forward with this initiative to support the commitment of the Government to academic advancement.

Mullings is the second awardee of the scholarship, following Doran Cassell in 2019. Mullings was selected amongst a pool of four applicants.

The Montserrat Island Scholars are selected each year based on their performance at the Caribbean Examination Council’s, Caribbean Advance Proficiency Examination and their commitment to leading in Montserrat’s development and growth.

Allen is a 2017 graduate of the Montserrat Community College, a talented portrait artist, and a rapper – going by the stage name Allen in Challenge. His aptitude for mathematics and strict logical thinking enabled him to return to the Montserrat Community College to teach Pure and Applied Mathematics. Beyond this, he is passionate in applying rational thought to matters of philosophy and religion.

His broad interest in developing models which accurately describe the world – in conjunction with his interest in analyzing global socioeconomic trends – pulled him towards Actuarial Science. This discipline is concerned with the use of rigorous mathematics to assess and analyze risk, typically within a financial context. Mullings views this field as critical for facilitating the onward development of Montserrat’s economy.

Mr. Mullings has commenced classes online and intends to attend on campus in the United States for the Fall semester of 2021.

The Ministry of Education anticipates the upcoming application cycle for the 2021 Island Scholarship during the month of May 2021.