STETHS footballer motivated to give back

Home is where the heart is, and for United States-based Walford ‘Wally’ Stewart, he might have migrated from Jamaica but his love and passion for his beloved parish of St Elizabeth remains the same.

For him, “giving back to country, family and friends” should be something that every Jamaican in the diaspora practises. Stewart’s continual motivation and desire to always make a difference comes from his life experiences.

“I wanted to be a pilot because I never went on a plane. I started playing soccer at STETHS, and then I knew I wanted to be a professional soccer player. When that didn’t work out because of lack of support, I turned to my bachelor’s degree and from there I have been striving to be a successful entrepreneur,” he shared.

Stewart, a past student of St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS), has been giving back to that institution for many years. He uses every opportunity to touch lives there.

The former daCosta Cup player who has played college soccer in the United States, said sports developed him mentally, and now he uses every opportunity to look out for others. Making a difference in Jamaica’s education system is not just a goal for him, but a motivation, Stewart shared.

“What really excites me is giving a person a chance. What keeps me going with this project is the fact that I have been there and I know there were people back in my days in high school that were not able to pay their school fee, nor even able to buy lunch on a normal day,” he noted.

Stewart, who graduated from STETHS in 2006, won an academic scholarship to study in the US. He eventually graduated with a double major – a Bachelor of Science degree in small business management and financial services. He has since started an online business brand, GOF-AAH, where he sells clothing. In Jamaica, he has launched two businesses in his hometown of Santa Cruz – a rental car company and a print shop that does design and prints.

COMMITTED TO SCHOOL

Three yearly events in New York ensures he is able to provide much-needed support for his alma mater. This year, on Saturday, June 12, his company GOF-AAH will host a ‘bottle drive’ dinner gala in Connecticut, with proceeds earmarked to fund scholarships for needy students at STETHS. He has already committed to sponsoring two students out of pocket and is hoping he can add others after the fundraiser. His commitment to the school is also powered through an old boys’ group called ‘The 2000s’, which supports the school’s football team by providing food, uniforms and school shoes for the boys. They recently sponsored some training gears for the school’s team.

Commenting on his passion for sharing and giving back, Stewart gives credit to his mother Georgia Thompson, who nurtured his desire to help the needy. He is hoping his philanthropic efforts will motivate others.

“I want them to say: ‘If Wally a do it, mi can do it, too.’ It’s called the ‘Jones effect’, keeping up with the Jones, a sales tactic I learned while doing door-to-door sales,” he shared with The Gleaner.

Stewart said his long-term goal is not just to make a difference in education in his community in Jamaica, but to also help the students improve themselves to better their future.

“You give a man a fish and you only feed him for the day, but if you teach him how to fish, he can feed himself for a lifetime. This scholarship and mission will also help me to build GOF-AAH, a brand that motivates others to just start, or just try, and never give up,” he said.

editorial@gleanerjm.com