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Old Harbour High students get financial boost from diaspora
Published: Saturday | December 17, 2011 0 Comments
Gaynor Russell (second left), president of the Jamaican American Cultural Association (JACA) in Charlotte, North Carolina, makes a presentation to Dwight Phoenix. - see full caption at the end of story.
Gaynor Russell (second left), president of the Jamaican American Cultural Association (JACA) in Charlotte, North Carolina, makes a presentation to Dwight Phoenix. Also sharing in the moment are three other scholarship winners (from left) Christopher Cameron, Sanjay Smith and Shantell Phoenix. At right is Lynton Weir, principal of Old Harbour High School. JACA donated scholarships valued at US$2,000 to the students. - Contributed
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Published: Saturday | December 17, 2011 0 Comments
Gaynor Russell (second left), president of the Jamaican American Cultural Association (JACA) in Charlotte, North Carolina, makes a presentation to Dwight Phoenix. - see full caption at the end of story.
Karen Sudu, Gleaner Writer
OLD HARBOUR, St Catherine
WIGHT PHOENIX of Old Harbour High isn't the only one who has pocketed a scholarship from the United States-based Jamaican American Cultural Association (JACA). His sister Shantell, a fifth-former; Christopher Cameron and Sanjay Smith, sixth-formers who obtained nine Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate subjects each in 2010, received similar awards.
JACA, which was founded 10 years ago as a social gathering for Jamaicans living in Charlotte, North Carolina, now focuses primarily on providing educational assistance to children in Charlotte and Jamaica.
"We have done things locally in Charlotte for Jamaicans and other Caribbean people, as well as other African Americans and we wanted to extend that to our Jamaican community. So for the last five or six years, we have been giving kids scholarships," she said.
An honour
Phoenix deems the scholarship an honour.
"I am grateful for this opportunity and it is a motivation for me to do something like this when I grow up," he told The Gleaner.
Like Phoenix, the other recipients expressed a desire to give back in the future so others can benefit.
"I am very grateful for this contribution towards my upbringing and I would like to make a contribution further on when I have succeeded in the field of either chemical engineering or mechanical engineering," said Smith.
Principal Lynton Weir hails the donation by JACA as a laudable initiative to be emulated.
"This morning, what we saw is a demonstration of good hearts and we need to have more Jamaicans like a young Miss (Gaynor) Russell and organisations which can contribute, individuals who have achieved and can contribute to the development of students here in Jamaica," he said.
"When you look at our four recipients, they are individuals that we don't have to worry about in terms of investment. These are individuals who have been doing well academically. I have no doubt in my mind that at the end of another four years, they will be individuals who will be standing very tall in terms of achievement," said Weir.
Other schools benefit
In addition to awarding scholar-ships, JACA has also been providing technological equipment for schools in Jamaica. The latest institution to benefit is Franklyn Town Primary.
"They were lacking technological equipment for the kids to be able to access the Internet and to conduct classes via a projector," Russell said. "So we provided a projector and four computers, including a laptop, so they could conduct lessons and the students would have an avenue or a way to do their research work and access the Internet."
She explains that her organisation aims to spend at least US$10,000 annually.
The JACA president said this trip to Jamaica included the provision of a few gifts to patients at the Bustamante Hospital for Children as well as financial assistance to Franklyn Town, totalling over US$6,000.
Russell, who hails from Franklyn Town in Kingston, is a past student of Alpha Academy. She migrated to the United States at age 19.
"If you educate kids, the sky is the limit for them," she said.
rural@gleanerjm.com
Full captionOLD HARBOUR, St Catherine
WIGHT PHOENIX of Old Harbour High isn't the only one who has pocketed a scholarship from the United States-based Jamaican American Cultural Association (JACA). His sister Shantell, a fifth-former; Christopher Cameron and Sanjay Smith, sixth-formers who obtained nine Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate subjects each in 2010, received similar awards.JACA, which was founded 10 years ago as a social gathering for Jamaicans living in Charlotte, North Carolina, now focuses primarily on providing educational assistance to children in Charlotte and Jamaica.
"We have done things locally in Charlotte for Jamaicans and other Caribbean people, as well as other African Americans and we wanted to extend that to our Jamaican community. So for the last five or six years, we have been giving kids scholarships," she said.
An honour
Phoenix deems the scholarship an honour.
"I am grateful for this opportunity and it is a motivation for me to do something like this when I grow up," he told The Gleaner.
Like Phoenix, the other recipients expressed a desire to give back in the future so others can benefit.
"I am very grateful for this contribution towards my upbringing and I would like to make a contribution further on when I have succeeded in the field of either chemical engineering or mechanical engineering," said Smith.
Principal Lynton Weir hails the donation by JACA as a laudable initiative to be emulated.
"This morning, what we saw is a demonstration of good hearts and we need to have more Jamaicans like a young Miss (Gaynor) Russell and organisations which can contribute, individuals who have achieved and can contribute to the development of students here in Jamaica," he said.
"When you look at our four recipients, they are individuals that we don't have to worry about in terms of investment. These are individuals who have been doing well academically. I have no doubt in my mind that at the end of another four years, they will be individuals who will be standing very tall in terms of achievement," said Weir.
Other schools benefit
In addition to awarding scholar-ships, JACA has also been providing technological equipment for schools in Jamaica. The latest institution to benefit is Franklyn Town Primary.
"They were lacking technological equipment for the kids to be able to access the Internet and to conduct classes via a projector," Russell said. "So we provided a projector and four computers, including a laptop, so they could conduct lessons and the students would have an avenue or a way to do their research work and access the Internet."
She explains that her organisation aims to spend at least US$10,000 annually.
The JACA president said this trip to Jamaica included the provision of a few gifts to patients at the Bustamante Hospital for Children as well as financial assistance to Franklyn Town, totalling over US$6,000.
Russell, who hails from Franklyn Town in Kingston, is a past student of Alpha Academy. She migrated to the United States at age 19.
"If you educate kids, the sky is the limit for them," she said.
rural@gleanerjm.com
Gaynor Russell (second left), president of the Jamaican American Cultural Association (JACA) in Charlotte, North Carolina, makes a presentation to Dwight Phoenix. Also sharing in the moment are three other scholarship winners (from left) Christopher Cameron, Sanjay Smith and Shantell Phoenix. At right is Lynton Weir, principal of Old Harbour High School. JACA donated scholarships valued at US$2,000 to the students. - Contributed
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