Scholarships To Go 2019

21 THE GLEANER | TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2019 TESTIMONIALS W ITH A $2.6-million tuition fee annually, 2018 Sagicor Foundation scholar Kedra Hodges wondered how she would have made it to the finish line at school, but having gone through four years of studies, Hodges is on the final lap to completing her degree in the Doctor of Medicinal Dentistry programme at the University of Technology. In what she describes as her‘David and Goliath’story, Hodges is on her way to achieving her dreamwith help from the Sagicor Foundation. But her journey was not always easy as her other expenses outweighed her finances for accommoda- tion, food and transportation. In fact, she shared that her determination to succeed caused her to even skip lunch many days as she just could not afford it. “Lunch was no longer a right but a benefit to be derived when the opportunity presented itself. The mango trees in the schoolyard became my friends,” she reminisced during her address at the 2018 Sagicor Foundation Scholarship Awards Ceremony. But going without lunch was not the worst point in her journey as at the end of her first semester of her fourth year, her mother frantically called to informher that their home had been ravaged by the flood that impacted the town of Montego Bay in 2017. This was indeed a setback, espe- cially after her home was damaged by fire in December 2005. “It was extremely difficult for me with all that was happening, but it was my motivation to finish school, do well and make my family proud, which pushed me to study extremely hard and maintain good grades, which I hoped would land me a scholarship, and that dream came through,” Hodges shared proudly. Hodges expressed her heartfelt gratitude for being selected as a Sagicor Foundation scholar, noting that the financial assis- tance was a huge step in “slaying my biggest giant, my tuition fee”. “Thank you again, Sagicor Foundation for your investment in my education. Your help will go a far way,” she shared. Kedra Hodges, 2018 Sagicor Foundation scholar, expresses gratitude to the Sagicor Foundation for contributing to her education. Kedra Hodges defeating the odds to accomplish her dream WHEN SAGICOR Group Jamaica promises to be with their clients at all stages, they mean it. This is the reality for Chevon Lewis, a 24-year-old grad- uate of The University of the West Indies, Mona, who was the recipient of a Sagicor Foundation tertiary scholarship in 2015. Now employed to the company as a marketing officer with responsibility for select projects for Sagicor Foundation, Lewis reflected on how his time as a Sagicor scholar significantly contributed to shaping him into the man he is today. He shared that his involvement with Sagicor afforded him the opportunity to complete his studies at a time when there seemed to have been no way. Lewis received the scholarship soon after his mother, his chief financer, underwent a costly medical procedure that depleted her resources. In addition to his worries about his mother, Chevon was also very anxious about how his tuition would be paid. Upon recommendation from a friend, he ap- plied for the Sagicor Foundation tertiary schol- arship just one day before applications closed. Weeks later, he received the life-changing call, where he learnt that he was selected as one of the scholars. Lewis was not only grateful for the financial assistance but found joy in the overall camara- derie and warmth he felt from members of the Sagicor team. “I became part of an extended family, and I learnt and understood what it truly meant to be a Sagicor scholar. What I love about the scholarship programme is that it grooms you into being a rounded individual by encouraging volunteer- ism and giving back while balancing academic excellence,” he said. Lewis lauded the Sagicor Foundation for not just helping to alleviate the payment of his tui- tion fees but for taking a vested interest in each scholar and ensuring their well-being and overall development. “This scholarship gives individuals the oppor- tunity to be a part of something great,”he stated, referring to his involvement in volunteerism for Sagicor Foundation initiatives. Chevon Lewis (left), 2015 Sagicor Foundation scholar andmarketing officer, Sagicor Group Jamaica, greets Richard Byles, Sagicor Group Jamaica chairman, at the scholarship awards ceremony. Chevon Lewis – from scholar to Sagicor employee Sagicor Foundation THE GLEANER’S SCHOLARSHIPS TO GO | TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2019