NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | THURSDAY, MAY 18, 2023 18 SCHOLARSHIPS TO GO FEATURE | THE GLEANER | THURSDAY, MAY 18, 2023 THROUGH ITS annual scholarship programme, Carreras Limited has been a beacon of hope for countless university students across Jamaica. The company has made it its duty to render assistance to as many university students as possible who dream of acquiring higher education. The scholarships, which vary in category, are presented to Jamaican students enrolled at a number of recognised community colleges and universities across the island. Each student possesses an exemplary academic record and are in dire need of financial assistance. In 2022, Carreras awarded a record 90 scholarships to students; 20 of the awardees were also granted a 2021 Carreras Scholarship. The company prides itself in not only assisting these promising young leaders on a one-off basis, it has made a commitment to see the scholars through to their total academic journey, once they maintain good grades and active involvement in their schools and communities. Two such scholars who have been able to do so, and, as a result, copped a coveted Carreras Scholarship two years in a row, are nursing students, Derron Jackson and Tahj-Monique McCauley. Jackson is a third-year student at Excelsior Community College in St Andrew who is enrolled in the Bachelor of Science degree in nursing programme. He received a Carreras Community College Scholarship valued at $100,000 in 2021 and was successful in acquiring the same award in 2022. He is the first of three children being raised by a single mother who struggles to obtainmeaningful employment. “Over the years, I’ve seen my mother try to make sure that we go to school every day and that we eat, even if it’s only a little bit of food, with the help of my aunts and grandmother. However, as my siblings and I get older, our financial demands have grown dramatically”, he said. It was these challenges that motivated Jackson to seek a Carreras scholarship to fund his education in the hope that it will alleviate some of the financial burdens his family experiences. Despite the financial hardship, he always performed well in school. It therefore came as no surprise that his GPA of 3.94 in 2021 and 3.86 in 2022 enabled him to land two consecutive Carreras Community College Scholarships. ACADEMIC PROWESS In both years, his applications stood out among the more than 1,000 applications submitted as a result of his academic prowess and his remarkable extra-curricular and volunteerism involvements. He is currently the class representative for the 2022/2023 academic year and a junior member of the Nurses Association of Jamaica. He still serves as an activemember of the Creative Educated andOptimisticYouth Club of his alma mater, Christiana High School, and has carried out numerous philanthropic activities, such as feeding homeless individuals in Manchester and providing clothes to those in need. He has also volunteered with Sagicor Foundation at its 2022 annual Sigma Run and assessed blood pressure levels of individuals for Food for the Poor on World Hypertension Day 2022. He is highly respected by his peers and family and commonly referred to as a promising future leader. Like Jackson, McCauley is an aspiring paediatric nurse. She is enrolled at The University of theWest Indies, Western Jamaica Campus and is currently in her final year of nursing school. In 2022, she boasted a GPA of 3.63, and in 2021, a GPA of 3.83 which both allowed her to also emerge as a two-time Carreras scholar. She, too, was raised by a single mother who unfortunately succumbed to breast cancer in early 2021, just three months after her diagnosis. McCauley saw the need to apply for a Carreras Scholarship during the time her family was experiencing great financial strain as a result of her mom’s cancer treatment, doctor’s appointments, chemotherapy, and medication. “Thankfully, the Carreras teamhad faith inmy potential. After receiving the email that I was awarded, it was like a miracle. I was overjoyed that I could alleviate some financial strain and I was elated to see my family smile during such a sad time,” she said. McCauley has served as treasurer for the St James Parish Youth Council in 2018 and 2020 and president of the science and sign language clubs at Montego Bay High School. She also volunteered as the secretary of the Western Regional Health Authority in 2021 and worked as a nursing assistant at Cornwall Regional Hospital where she assisted in delivering newborns. “Before my mother passed in 2021, she helpedme write my thank you letter to Carreras. She described it as an“opportunity to see beyond these grey skies” during such a sad time and “another reason to smile”. Thanks to this, Carreras is now an irreplaceable and invaluable part of my life, and I will always be grateful,” she shared. Today, McCauley makes it her duty to make her mom proud by doing her best in her studies while assisting her stepfather in taking care of her two-year-old sister whom her mom left in their care. When asked what her ultimate goal in life is, she said, “My longterm goal is to use the skills that I have gained in nursing school to save lives and help individuals maintain or achieve good health. I am cognisant of the fact that nurses, in general, are in demand. So, I will join our health care system and do my utmost best to positively impact the lives of individuals.” Tahj-Monique McCauley (left), receives her 2022 scholarship certificate from Head of Finance at Carreras Limited, Verona Williamson. PHOTOS BY O’NEIL GRANT Stellar academic performance by aspiring nurses result in double Carreras Scholarship Awards TWO YEARS IN A ROW! ‘Thankfully, the Carreras team had faith in my potential. After receiving the email that I was awarded, it was like a miracle. I was overjoyed that I could alleviate some financial strain and I was elated to see my family smile during such a sad time.’ CARRERAS LIMITED Derron Jackson (left) is presented with his 2022 scholarship certificate by Antiillicit Trade and Engagement Manager at Carreras Limited, Olivia Betrand.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUzNTI=