Abandoned, fostered and determined - Scholarship recipients overcome adversity to pursue their dreams

Sometimes Mikayla Brown forgets she has only one leg.

The 20-year-old University of Technology (UTech) student moves through life focused less on what she has lost and more on what lies ahead — completing her degree, building a career in human resource management, and one day representing Jamaica on the world stage as a para archer.

"I honestly forget that I don't have two functioning legs," she said with a laugh.

Brown was among 15 tertiary students awarded scholarships by Children of Jamaica Outreach (COJO) at its annual Scholarship Awards Luncheon, held on Tuesday at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.

For Brown, the scholarship represents much more than financial assistance. It is another milestone in a life marked by loss, resilience and determination.

Born with a clubfoot, Brown underwent an amputation around age two after doctors determined that a bone in her right leg would not develop properly. Years later, another devastating challenge followed when her mother died.

The loss plunged her into the foster care system and separated her from her younger brother, who was later adopted by another family.

"I did not have the typical childhood," she said, adding that despite the setbacks, she refused to allow her circumstances to define her.

Now heading into her third year pursuing a degree in human resource management at UTech, Brown plans to use the $800,000 scholarship towards her tuition.

"University is not easy. There are a lot of ups and downs, but we have to make the best of the opportunities that we get," she said.

She is also thankful that her disability has unexpectedly opened doors, including an opportunity to compete on Jamaica's para archery team.

"I don't really see my disability. People see me and see my disability, but sometimes I honestly forget," she said.

Across the room, another scholarship recipient was reflecting on a very different journey.

Aisha Dimetress never expected to find herself standing among the award recipients. For years, she believed she was not good enough. Today, against the odds, she is pursuing a degree in business management.

She was too young to remember, but according to family members, Dimetress was abandoned as an infant and later found by a passenger on a public bus after her 14-year-old mother became pregnant by a much older man.

"He was a big man, and the story I heard was that he was afraid he was going to get locked up for my mother, and so he left me on the bus," she recalled. "I was told a lady found me."

After spending about two years in state care, she was placed in the custody of her great-grandmother, who became her source of encouragement and stability. For years, that support sustained her ambitions. Then, in 2021, her great-grandmother died.

"That's where my support was," Dimetress said. "I didn't have the support of parents outside of her, and because she was no longer with me, that set me back."

The loss robbed her of motivation and confidence, she said, adding that tertiary education was the last thing on her mind.

Today, however, she is financing much of her education through work while enduring long commutes from Kitson Town to classes in Papine.

"It's hard, but it's worth it when I see how far I'm coming from," she said.

"I didn't think that in a million years I would be right here in this meeting because I never envisioned myself so far," she said, adding that her cousins and aunts now help to support her.

Founded in 1994 by philanthropist Gary Williams, COJO has invested more than US$1 million in scholarships and assistance programmes for children and young people in Jamaica over the past three decades.

This year, the organisation awarded scholarships to 15 tertiary students pursuing studies in disciplines ranging from business administration and education to engineering, medical technology and social work.

For recipients like Brown and Dimetress, the awards are not merely investments in education. They are affirmations that difficult beginnings do not have to determine where a journey ends.

According to Williams, more than US$500,000 in scholarships have been awarded to students since 2012.

Having migrated from Jamaica to New York in the United States, Williams said sponsors there have remained committed despite the many challenges encountered over the years.

"I came from humble beginnings and I'm also a child of the village," he said. "I remember my pastor and people along the way who helped me. Alpha Boys' Home was my first job, and so I feel compelled to give back.”

Williams said COJO continues to focus on children in state care because they are among the most vulnerable. 

"These children have no one to look out for them, and so COJO has been that vehicle," he said.

Guest speaker Bruce James, president of MVP Track and Field Club, challenged the scholarship recipients to take ownership of their futures.

Drawing on lessons from sport, James urged the students to become "the athletes, coaches and managers of their lives", stressing that success would depend not only on talent, but also discipline, perseverance and personal accountability. 

corey.robinson@gleanerjm.com