J. Wray & Nephew celebrates with scholarship recipients

While celebrating with the more than 100 students who benefited from scholarships valued at $11.7 million this year, Clement 'Jimmy' Lawrence, chairman of the J. Wray & Nephew Foundation, expressed some disappointment that of the 100 external scholarships that were available, only 65 students came forward or met the criteria.

Overall 140 students at the secondary and tertiary level benefited from financial assistance this year.

Speaking at the ceremony which was held on Tuesday at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston, Lawrence said that the scholarships signalled the company's commitment to cater to the nation's children. He implored students to make it their priority to do well in school in order to benefit from financial assistance when the opportunity presents itself.

"We quadrupled the 25 scholarships that were made available in 2016, regrettably though, we did not have the full uptake of the allocations, and so only 65 of the 100 community bursaries will be awarded in 2017. We are expecting that this will not be the case next year," he said.

"Congratulations to all the students here today. The scholarships you have all received represents your dedication and hard work. Our company remains committed to playing our part to create a brighter future and better Jamaica. Over the next five years, we will increase the number of scholarships available through the foundation and widen the net of applicants as we seek to give back in a more targeted way."

First-time scholarship

Lawrence also made special mention of the Joy Spence Science, Technology, Engineer-ing and Mathematics Scholar-ship, which was being awarded for the first time, in recognition of the world's first female master blender.

One of the two recipients of the award, Ricardo Anderson, in his remarks, took the audience on a journey, highlighting the struggles he encountered as a student at the primary and secondary level.

Anderson, a past student of the Glenmiur High School, expressed gratitude for the financial assistance, indicating that it has alleviated a lot of the burden as he pursues his degree in medical physics at the University of the West Indies.

"I'm from a less fortunate background, one where I have often struggled at each turn in life. Growing up has always been challenging, especially with regards to my academic journey. Primary school is where I developed a keen interest for the sciences, however, it was difficult to excel as I truly wanted to, due to the limitations of monetary resources,"

"I am sure that I am echoing the sentiments of my colleagues as we will take full advantage of this assistance and do our best."