G-G-Sponsored Scholarship Places Youngster on Path to Becoming a Lawyer

The opportunity to pursue a Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of the West Indies, Mona, is a dream come true for 21-year-old Nowell Lewin Jr., who is the first member of his family to attend university.

“I always wanted to be a lawyer. I am interested in majoring in international law and human rights because I want to be an international lawyer and a politician,” he tells JIS News.

Mr. Lewin Jr. is among 10 students who were recently awarded scholarships to pursue undergraduate studies at local universities under the 2023 Summer of Service (SOS) Scholarship Programme.

SOS is executed under the I Believe Initiative (IBI), an arm of the Governor-General’s Programme for Excellence (GGPE).

Mr. Lewin Jr. tells JIS News that he was raised in a humble household with parents who are both entrepreneurs and received financial support from family friends and other people he met along the way.

He earned eight Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) subjects and 10 units of Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) while attending Central High School in Clarendon.

The core objective of SOS is to foster a culture of volunteerism among young people while simultaneously supporting their educational aspirations.
Mr. Lewin Jr. began volunteering as a student through his school’s United Nations Club and International Key Club.

“We pooled our resources and sought sponsorship as well to give donations to the girls’ home in Clarendon and the boys’ home. I gave back to people no matter how much I thought I needed it myself,” he says.

Young Lewin’s passion for service grew from strength to strength and so when he learned about SOS, he did not hesitate to apply.

“It was an opportunity for me to help myself financially for tertiary education. Life, for me, was not easy in many cases and the scholarship would definitely assist me in reducing the amount that I needed to pay for tuition,” he tells JIS News.

Through the programme, students dedicate their summer breaks to community service projects, for which they submit proposals outlining their plans and final reports on the work completed.

Supervisors oversee the projects and evaluate the students’ performance. Reports are then reviewed and outstanding participants matched with potential sponsors.

Mr. Lewin Jr’s 96 hours of service were dedicated to working with the Clarendon Social Development Corporation and the Clarendon Health Department on a summer camp.

The engagement was focused on behaviour modification and improving mental health and over the course of four weeks, he interacted with children from various communities across the parish.

Mr. Lewin Jr. is a member of the Clarendon Youth Council, Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network and is the founder of Global Integration Society.
Reflecting on his high school journey, he shared that he learned a lot about perseverance.

“Many times, I didn’t have the resources, but I still pushed forward and rose above the challenges,” he notes.

Since the SOS Scholarship Programme’s inception in 2013, more than 148 students have enrolled and more than $70 million invested in full and partial scholarships, book grants and other financial assistance.

“I am humbled to be a recipient. It was a competitive programme and there were times I wondered if I would be selected for this prestigious scholarship. When I got the call that I got the scholarship, I was excited,” he tells JIS News, noting that it is renewable based on academic performance.

Mr. Lewin Jr. notes that having the Governor-General as the direct sponsor of his scholarship has placed “positive pressure” on him to do his best in law school, but he is ready to put in the work.

Other sponsors of the scholarship programme include the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Jamaica, Northern Caribbean University, the University of Technology, NCB Foundation, Derrimon Trading, First Regional Co-operative Credit Union, GraceKennedy Foundation, Newport-Fersan, Barita Foundation, Alfrasure, Dr. Mark Gonzalez, and the JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation.

Mr. Lewin Jr is encouraging Jamaican youth to dedicate some of their time to volunteering as it builds character, opens networking opportunities and is his case, provided the resources for him to attend university.