Miss Universe GOGETTER Scholarship for Portland student

The Miss Universe Jamaica organisation placed its tag line, 'Enhancing Lives Through Beauty', into action when it awarded a full five-year scholarship to 12-year-old Shenae Andrews of Norwich Primary School, to attend the Titchfield High School, both in Portland.

This is part of the organisation's GOGETTER (Giving Our Girls Economic Tools To Enrich & Reward) initiative, which targets needy but academically sound primary-school girls and assists them with full tuition, books and uniforms, and makes general contributions towards other expenses associated with school attendance throughout the students' high-school years.

The initiative also includes the GOGETTER Boot Camp, whereby, the Miss Universe Jamaica titleholders join forces with industry professionals and visit inner-city and rural schools with at-risk girls and make presentations on grooming, hygiene, etiquette, motivational topics and personal development, geared at the overall improvement of these students' lives.

Brilliant girl

Miss Universe Jamaica 2014, Kaci Fennell, Miss Universe Jamaica national director, Karl Williams, and members of their team were recently in Portland to make the selection and were impressed by Shenae's achievements, how well-rounded she is, how excited she was about her new school, and her desire to become a teacher to make a difference in peoples' lives. She is a member of the 4-H Club; a JCDC Speech bronze and gold medallist; and did exceptionally well in the GSAT exams she sat in March.

"We are very happy and honoured to be able to present this scholarship to a student we feel will benefit most. One of the things we wanted to do with this brand was to make a meaningful difference in the life of our fellow Jamaicans who needed assistance, and we feel that this fits that mandate perfectly," said Williams.