Sixteen students at Jamaica College (JC) received over J$630,000 in academic scholarships and bursaries for the 2021 school term from the Jamaica College Old Boys Association of Florida (JCOBAFL).

The awards were based on the names of benefactors and were presented at a virtual Jamaica College Griffin Award ceremony, broadcast on YouTube earlier in May.

In his opening remarks, JC principal Wayne Robinson welcomed the audience to the third virtual Griffin Awards ceremony and thanked Xavier Murphy and the JCOBAFL for providing the awards in the various categories.

The benefactors of the awards were Hugh Osborne; Basil Bernard, chairman of Apricot Office Interiors; Dr Donald Dixon; Hermann Vernon; Mark Hamilton; Tony Budall; Ricky McCalla; Louis Hoy; R. Danny Williams; Teddy Alexander; Dr Jason Scott Hamilton; Dr Paul Khan; attorney Karl Marshall: Franz Hall; Steven Epstein; and Xavier Murphy, founder of Jamaicans.com.

The beneficiaries of the awards were as follows:

• Andrew Willis, recipient of the Hugh Osborne award for outstanding achievement in business and accounting.
• Marlon Hinds, recipient of the Basil Bernard award for outstanding achievement in business and accounting.
• Jaheem Brown, recipient of the Dr Donald Dixon award for outstanding achievement in science and medicine.
• Zachary Ranglin, recipient of the Herman Vernon award for outstanding achievement in engineering and robotics.
• Tajay Brown, recipient of the Mark Hamilton award for outstanding achievement in journalism and education as well as theatre and visual arts.
• Joel Henry, recipient of the Tony Budall award for outstanding achievement in engineering and robotics.
• Jacob Arboine, recipient of the Ricky A. McCalla award for outstanding achievement in journalism education and theatre and visual arts.
• Tyler Whyte, recipient of the Louis Hoy award for outstanding achievement in humanities and law.
• Justin Campbell, recipient of the R. Danny Williams award for outstanding achievement in business and accounting.
• Ojay James, recipient of the Teddy Alexander award for outstanding achievement in engineering and robotics.
• Gavril Williams, recipient of the Dr Jason Scott Hamilton award for outstanding achievement in engineering and robotics.
• Kemar Buchanan, recipient of the Dr Paul Khan award for outstanding achievement in science and medicine.
• Dajdre Hyman, recipient of the Karl Marshall award for outstanding achievement in business.
• Damon Ricketts, recipient of the Franz Hall award for outstanding achievement in journalism, education and theatre and visual arts.
• Travis Lee, recipient of the Steve Epstein award for outstanding achievement in business and accounting.
• Jelani Spence, recipient of the Xavier Murphy award for outstanding achievement in journalism, education and theatre and visual arts.

In 2019, the JCOBAFL established its annual programme of scholarships and bursaries for academically gifted and socio-economically disadvantaged students attending Jamaica College.

The scholarships are awarded in the name of alumni who have excelled in each respective discipline.

Awards focus on currently matriculated students who seek to have careers in the disciplines for which the awards are given. The disciplines include journalism, theatre, medicine, law, business, and engineering.

Each award is accompanied by a financial disbursement to defray the costs associated with pursuing studies in the specific discipline.