Five students who excelled academically at the end of the 2022/2023 academic year were celebrated by the JN Foundation at a recent luncheon dubbed ‘Top of the Class’, at The Jamaica National Group’s Corporate Office on Oxford Road in Kingston.

They are Gabrielle Numa and Zane Thompson, who both attend Campion College and earned recognition for performance in fourth and second forms, respectively; Rachel Hazle, of Mount Alvernia High School in St James, for her third-form achievement; Taevion Morgan, for his performance in first form at DeCarteret College; and Zhane’ Harrison, of Manchester High School, who was the highest-performing incoming JN scholar from the Primary Exit Profile Exam (PEP).

The five students achieved averages of 92 per cent or higher, topping their individual year groups, among the group of more than 140 awardees in the programme.

“The JN Foundation will ensure that your journey with us is rewarding, and one of the things we will focus on is the building of character by helping you to show up in spaces with confidence and to articulate and present yourself well,” said Claudine Allen, general manager of the JN Foundation.

The JN Foundation awards outstanding students who performed admirably in grade six (PEP Exams) with annual grants valued at J$50,000 for the first five years of secondary study, on the condition that they maintain set academic performance standards.

Among the guests who attended the luncheon were Parris Lyew-Ayee; JN Group Chief Executive Officer Earl Jarrett and other JN senior managers and parents.

The students were commended by Jarrett, who encouraged them to be all-rounders and to get involved in extracurricular activities.

“Seek to find opportunities where you can be part of a team, whether in sports or volunteering, in areas that support your ambitions. These are important things that we should do, as one needs to be able to share,” he advised.

Jarrett further urged the students to adopt good values such as dependability, authenticity, respect, and transparency, which he said are the values that The Jamaica National Group embraces.

“They are simple words, but if you live them every day, it will make a big difference,” he pointed out.

Jermaine Nairne, senior manager of Talent Performance and Culture at The Jamaica National Group, congratulated the students and encouraged them to make the most of their high school years.

“In making the most of your journey, ensure that you demonstrate humanity. So, one of the repeaters of sustained success is your emotional intelligence. Ensure that you are deliberate about working on your emotional intelligence, and that is your awareness of self, management of self and how you manage your relationships with others,” he said.

Shereen Jones, assistant general manager and chief information officer at The Jamaica National Group, commended the students and encouraged them to focus on being well- rounded individuals.

“The academics demonstrate your capacity to do well, and it will get you into a job, but the truth of the matter is that your growth potential, how far you will go, and how well you succeed are going to be dependent on a number of things we call the soft skills, and how rounded you are is going to depend on how well you work with others,” she said.

Lead, youth and education programmes at the JN Foundation, Shanna Kaye Wright Vaughn, said the ‘Top-of-the-Class’ initiative was conceptualised to encourage the JN Scholars and their parents to continue to aim for and to celebrate success.

“We are looking forward to greater things in 2024, as we seek to interact more with our scholars,” she said, noting that there will be initiatives such as mentorship opportunities and financial literacy activities for the JN scholars.