Silvera named to CC South Florida alumni board
Published:Wednesday | October 23, 2019 | 12:00 AM
The Cornwall College South Florida Alumni Association has appointed journalist and president of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Janet Silvera, as its first female board member in its 25-year history.
The appointment comes four years after Silvera expressed concern that numerous parents in St James were opting to send their sons to pursue secondary education in Kingston. Many, she said at the time, spoke of being disillusioned with the state of affairs at the school, which they felt was not operating at high academic and other standards.
“I knew of Cornwall College’s contribution to nation-building, having produced some of the country’s foremost leaders, and knew it was important to showcase the school’s indelible role in national life. So I was more than happy to throw my support behind the institution,” Silvera, a journalist with The Gleaner, explained.
Silvera has shown her commitment to the school by flying to South Florida to participate in monthly alumni meetings when possible. She also serves as vice-chair of the planning committee for the organisation’s annual fundraising banquet, which raises money for needy students and school building projects.
“We just built a new bathroom ... for the students at the school at a cost of US$50,000,” she said, adding that their next project was to retrofit at least two science laboratories that are in need of modernisation.
Silvera said that over the last few years, Cornwall College has made advances academically and otherwise, churning out graduates such as former head boy Rashawn Stewart, who recently aced his Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations, and Aston Harris and Bryce Wiggan Grant, who are excelling at university.