Balmagie Primary high achievers receive $1 million
Published:Tuesday | July 11, 2017 | 12:00 AMPaul Clarke
Twelve-year-old Taysean Brown, one of four students from the Balmagie Primary School in St Andrew selected as recipients of the 2017 Sanmerna Foundation Scholarship Fund award, says the assistance will go a far way in helping him to improve his academic performance and achieve his dream of joining the army.
Brown, Michida McIntyre, Giovanna Hermit and Kimberly Watson have emerged the top-four high achievers for the school in the recent Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT). They will benefit from the scholarship totalling $1 million.
The top-two students, with an average of 90 and above, will receive $300,000 each. The other two, averaging below 90, will receive $200,000 each.
"My father has been struggling with me over these many years, so I am very happy for the scholarship. It will go far in helping me and my family," the younger Brown said, his father beaming with pride at the handing over of cheques at Sanmerna Paper Products' offices on Tuesday.
The young man will be attending St George's College in September.
TO BE DISBURSED IN TRANCHES
Sanmerna Paper Products, manufacturers of the Classie and Sophie brands of paper rolls, committed $1 million for the scholarship this year, which will be disbursed in tranches.
Seventy-five per cent of the scholarship monies will be disbursed at the start of the new school year in September. The remaining 25 per cent will be handed over in December, said the company's managing director, Robert White.
"We are proud and, indeed, happy to be associated with the Balmagie Primary School, of which my brother and I are past students. To give back to the institution in this way is a real pleasure, on behalf of the Sanmerna Paper Products," said White.
"I want to encourage the parents to continue supporting the children to ensure that they do well ."
About Sanmerna
- Sanmerna Paper Products Ltd was founded in Kingston, Jamaica, in 2003, by brothers Robert and Mark White, who both serve as directors.
- The company is widely considered to be the island's most dominant manufacturer of paper products, including bathroom tissue, hand towels, napkins, and medical/bed rolls.
- The Sanmerna Foundation Scholarship Fund was launched in April 2016, and by June of that year, the company presented four students from the Balmagie Primary School with the first disbursement under the scholarship fund.