Backing big dreams

As he enters his second year of law school at The University of the West Indies, Mona, 20-year-old Jaleel Smith is feeling more at ease after being awarded a scholarship that covers more than 50 per cent of his tuition fees.

“It will allow me to go about the university life without being as anxious as first year was; dealing with student loans, dealing with the fact that my parents would have to go in further short-term death to deal with things, so (I now have) that peace of mind to be able focus more intently on my academics,” he told The Gleaner.

Smith was among 44 students from across Jamaica who were awarded scholarships, grants and special awards valued at $7.5 million by the Sagicor Foundation Jamaica.

The Portmore, St Catherine resident received a $300,000 scholarship, as well as a special award for innovation valued at $500,000. He said the funds will go directly towards the more than $1.5-million cost of his education.

The scholarship is renewable for up to four years, but he must maintain a grade point average of 3.0.

Lauding the Sagicor Foundation for investing in his future, Smith, who is the eldest of three children, said he intends to use the backing to propel him towards his vision of giving back to his country.

“Sagicor has invested not only in me, but towards my vision for equitable change in society,” he said.

After switching her career path from fashion design to nursing and dealing with the financial anxiety of funding her education, Tara Kelly is relieved to have been offered some reprieve after being granted a $300,000 scholarship from Sagicor Foundation Jamaica.

“It will definitely make my university life easier because I don’t have to worry about at least this first semester that is coming up so I can just focus on getting good grades, and doing a good job,” she told The Gleaner.

ACADEMIC FUNDING

Kelly, who is now entering her third year at the University of Technology, said her first two years were funded out of pocket and through a student loan. She also received a scholarship that covered the final semester of her second year.

The 27-year-old lauded her mother for supporting her academic journey and shared her dream of making a difference in the healthcare sector.

“We hear a lot of bad comments about nurses and the hospital and while some of them are true, I would like to at least help to make it a better place, a better place for nurses, a better place for patients and just anybody who comes in contact with the healthcare professional,” she said.

The Sagicor Foundation’s annual awards ceremony was held on Tuesday in Kingston.

The recipients were narrowed down from a pool of approximately 1,400 applicants following a process that considered academic performance, leadership, community involvement and financial need.

This year’s awards will enable recipients to pursue their educational milestones in fields ranging from the arts and sciences to law, engineering and technology.

Among the 44 awardees, 13 students received tertiary scholarships, renewable for up to four years, valued at $300,000, while another 10 students received one-time grants of $150,000. The remaining 21 received $50,000 secondary scholarships based on their performance in the recent Primary Exit Profile examination.

The secondary scholarships are renewable for up to five years. Two such recipients were Jahmar Amos and Travaneek Breakenridge, who emerged as the 2026 Champion Boy and Champion Girl, respectively, of the 2026 JTA/Sagicor National Athletics Championship.

As part of the programme, recipients will be required to complete 40 hours of volunteer service, giving them the opportunity to receive mentorship, build character, hone their leadership skills and deepen their commitment to community engagement.

editorial@gleanerjm.com