Among this year’s $8 million Jill Stewart Mobay City Run recipients is Flanker, St James native Shanique Corbett, who is now pursuing a master’s degree at the UWI Mona School of Business.

Speaking during the scholarship awards at the Sandals Montego Bay Hotel on Wednesday, September 18, a proud Corbett, who thanked the Jill Stewart MoBay Run for the life-changing scholarship, emphasized that despite the stigmatisation of one’s community, people can defy the odds and excel.

 Corbett revealed that she is the first member of her family to ever pursue higher education.

“In Flankers dreams aren’t always easy to chase but guess what, I am standing here today as a living proof that don’t matter where you start you can go anywhere,” Corbett said. “I am not just the first person in my family to attend university, I am the first person to hold a bachelor’s degree and soon to be the first person [in my family] to hold a master’s degree. Thanks to Jill Stewart MoBay City Run, you are making my dreams come through.” 

Corbett reflected that due to financial challenges, prior to receiving her first scholarship from the then Mobay Bay City Run in 2018, she was on the verge of taking a break from studying while she was attending the University of Technology.

“I received the MoBay City Run scholarship for the first time in 2018. This happened at a time when I was not sure how I was going to make it to the next semester. To be honest, I typed an email to request a leave of absence and for some reason, I did not send that email and then I got a call that I was selected for the scholarship. That took the financial stress and burden off me at that time. It came at a time I needed it the most. It lifted the burden and gave me the freedom to focus on what really matters: my education my growth, my future. Fast forward to 2024, I am here again receiving this incredible scholarship,” she stated.

She summed up that “the financial support is huge of course but what it really represents is hope”. 

She added: “The Jill Stewart MoBay City Run is lighting the path for students in western Jamaica where higher education is always possible to attain with a little help. This is not just an event. It is not just a run, it is not just a race. It’s an economic hope. It shows that no matter what little you have you can attain. It shows that education is a team effort and sometimes all it needs is a boost to take that little leap forward,” she added.

Multiple-award-winning journalist Janet Silvera initiated the charity run to assist tertiary students some 11 years ago. This year has been the eighth staging. The event returned last year after a two-year hiatus after COVID-19 prevented the 2021 and 2022 productions. 

Since last year the run was renamed the Jill Stewart Mobay City Run, in honour of the late wife of Sandals Resorts International executive chairman Adam Stewart. Silvera attributed the significant support of this year’s staging of the event to Jill Stewart’s name. Corbett was among the 65 students to receive scholarships from proceeds of the run that was staged on Sunday, May 5 in Montego Bay, St James.