Sixteen students receive scholarships from Ja 60th NY gala fundraiser

Scholarships totalling some US$40,000 have been awarded to sixteen students in Jamaica and the United States from proceeds raised from last year’s Jamaica 60th gala hosted by the Jamaican Consulate in New York City .

A breakdown of the scholarships showed that eight went to students attending The University of the West Indies; six went to students attending the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE); two went to students at the University of Technology and one went to a student in the United States.

Calvin Demoy, a final-year medical student at The University of the West Indies, told The Gleaner that he was extremely grateful for the scholarship as a final-year medical student.

“It is quite impactful for me. It is very difficult seeking funding year to year for my studies so this scholarship has removed the uncertainty for my final year,” he said.

Javon Francis, who enters his final year at CASE where he is studying agri-products and food management systems, also welcomed the funding. “This will allow me to achieve my goal of helping Jamaica’s food security,” he said. Francis shared that he is the first in his family to attend college, and get a degree and the scholarship will allow him to complete his degree without worry. “It came at the right time for me,” he said.Consul General Alsion Wilson, who provided a breakdown of the fund distribution, told The Gleaner she is hoping that this year’s gala will show a profit of some US$300,000 after clearing expenses.

“We were unable to provide for all the scholarship applications that we got from last year’s funds and so we hope to be able to assist some of the other students who did not get assistance this time around,” she said.

Funds from the 2022 gala were also used to assist with medical care for 13-year-old burn victim Adrianna Laing, US$19,000 was used to purchase dialysis machines which were donated to the Ministry of Health and Wellness and US$5,000 was donated to the Rose Town Foundation.

Some 700 persons attended the gala last year.