Education
JAM | Aug 27, 2022

GraceKennedy Foundation awards J$2 million in bursaries to students

Tamoy Ashman

Tamoy Ashman / Our Today

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The GraceKennedy Foundation awarded two million in bursaries to students of staff members in Friday, (August 26) under its annual Carlton Alexander Memorial Bursaries award ceremony.

For 32 years, bursaries have been awarded to family members of the GraceKennedy staff to encourage academic excellence.

Speaking at the virtual award ceremony, CEO of GraceKennedy Financial Group, Grace Burnett shared that “the legacy that Carlton Alexander left for our company and our country is truly a source of pride for GraceKennedy and we are honoured to celebrate him this way every year.”

She added that Alexander was also an inspirational leader who insisted on excellence. He was very hardworking and resourceful, traits that can be found in each awardee added Burnett.

Grace Burnett, CEO of GraceKennedy Financial Group

The foundation awarded 23 bursaries valued at J$2 million for this 2022/23 academic year.

A total of 17 students were awarded at the secondary level. From the batch, three of the awardees were new and the remaining 14 returning recipients.

Once a recipient maintains a minimum 80 per cent average or a 3.0 GPA the bursary is renewed annually.

Each secondary student up to grade 11 received J$65,000, and J$90,000 for those in 6th Form.

Drewmein Gordon, secondary student and awardee of the GraceKennedy Foundation Carlton Alexander Memorial Bursaries

Six tertiary students were awarded bursaries of J$150,000. Of the six, one student was a new recipient.

Unfortunately, due to their failure to maintain good academic standing three students were barred from receiving bursaries.

But, the foundation will still provide some financial assistance to these employees and children.

Caroline Mahfood is Chief Executive Officer of the GraceKennedy Foundation

Caroline Mahfood, CEO of the GraceKennedy Foundation, noted that the COVID-19 pandemic had affected many students. But, she is hopeful that with the return of face-to-face classes, students will have some form of normalcy.

She further encouraged secondary students to work hard, noting that there will only be two tertiary bursaries available next year.

For his part as guest speaker, Michael Johnson, a former recipient encouraged recipients to do some introspection.

“God created this world for us to experience to the fullest and he placed something of value in each of us to create something new that the world has yet to see. So, as you are going on your journey don’t think so much about what’s the secret to happiness because that’s no longer the question.”

He charged students to ask themselves “what are the things that God has placed inside of me that I have yet to bring forward to the world?”.

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