SCHOLARSHIPS TO GO FEATURE | THE GLEANER | THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2025 6 THE JPS Foundation continues to support students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through its Power Up Scholarship Programme. This initiative aims to reduce the financial barriers many students face due to the high costs associated with STEM-related courses. In 2024, the Foundation invested over $7.5 million, benefiting 28 students across Jamaica. The scholarships and grants supported both secondary and tertiary students, including first-year university STEM students, students at teachers’ colleges specialising in STEM, and final-year engineering students at the University of Technology (UTech). Head of the JPS Foundation Sophia Lewis highlighted that the scholarship programme is a key investment in Jamaica’s future, allowing young Jamaicans to gain the skills needed for a future-ready workforce. “STEM continues to play a major role in the growth and development of several industries, which is why it is one of our key areas of focus at the JPS Foundation,” she said. “Through the financial assistance we provide, we are ensuring that students with a passion for problem-solving can access the resources needed to boost innovation and help us achieve a technology-enabled society, as outlined in Jamaica’s Vision 2030 – National Outcome 11.” In addition to financial support, the JPS Foundation introduced a mentorship component to further enrich the students’ academic and personal development. “We wanted the relationship with our scholars to go beyond financing their education, to demonstrate that we also have an interest in their personal development,” said Lewis. “The addition of the mentorship component affords us the opportunity to add value to our recipients’lives through the guidance and camaraderie that is built between themselves and their JPS mentors.” This holistic approach ensures that students not only receive financial support, but also gain the guidance they need to succeed, both academically and professionally. Through these initiatives, the JPS Foundation continues to invest in the next generation of innovators and leaders. THANKS TO the JPS Foundation East-West Power (EWP) Korea scholarship grants, six final-year University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech) engineering students can now breathe easier. The students – Geri-Ann Miller, Gabrielle Beepat, Ackeem Grant, Allroy Horne, Jordon Jackson, and Le-Rhone Miller – were awarded a collective grant valued at $3 million to cover their final year of studies. For Grant, a civil engineering student, securing the grant was both a source of immense pride and relief. “Without this scholarship, I would have had to work to pay my tuition, which increases each year. My mother is the only one supporting me, and she has three children,”he shared. The scholarship, he explains, alleviates the financial burden, allowing him to focus on his studies. Chemical engineering student Geri-Ann Miller expressed similar sentiments. “My parents are educators, and I also have a younger brother starting high school, so this grant will ease the financial strain for my final year,” she said. Miller, who learned of her selection while participating in a work and travel programme in the United States, shared that her decision to pursue engineering came after being inspired by her father’s advocacy for STEM. JPS President and CEO Hugh Grant, a UTech alumnus, shared his journey with the students, emphasising the potential they have to shape the future of the energy sector. “The energy industry is in transition, and we are looking to unlock a cleaner future,” Grant said. “Your skills are in high demand, and we need great minds like you to help shape the future of energy.” Grant encouraged the students to follow a three-point life code for success: “Be the leader you want others to be, always be an avid learner, and be prepared to go the extra mile.” These scholarships, he reminded them, are a gateway to opportunities and success. From left; Sophia Lewis, head of the JPS Foundation, strikes a pose with ambassadors and scholarship awardees Leonie Harris, Shari-Jae Ford and Denzel Morrison. Both Harris and Ford walked away with the Power Up Stem Tertiary Scholarship for student teachers, valued at $500,000 and renewable for up to four years, while Morrison secured the Power Up STEM Tertiary Grant for student teachers, a one-time cash award also valued at $500,000. Contributed Photos Rashema Stanford, administrative assistant for customer solutions at JPS, presents the JPS VOLTS (Volunteers on Location to Serve) PEP Scholarship award to Nathan Stewart. Stewart copped the prize as the top PEP achiever for the county of Surrey. The award, made possible by donations from JPS employees, sees the top county recipients getting $60,000 annually for their five years in secondary school. Contributed East-West Power (EWP) Korea Representative and former JPS Foundation Director Yun Suk Choi (second left) welcomed University of Technology electrical engineering student Allroy Horne (right) to a recent luncheon hosted at the New Kingston head offices of JPS to honour six final-year engineering students who were awarded the JPS Foundation Power Up EWP STEM. Rooting for STEM education JPS Foundation EWP STEM grant lifts financial burden for UTech engineering students JPS FOUNDATION
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