Economist Receives Governor-General’s Achievement Award

Amid a sea of users sharing their views and social commentary on X (Twitter), Janiel McEwan’s words stand out.

His threads are detailed analyses, clearly informed by extensive research, statistics and a deep understanding of historical context.

It makes sense, given his background as an Economist, Researcher and Philanthropist, with a deep commitment to youth and community development.

It comes as no surprise, then, that his profound contributions to national discourse and local communities in St. James have been officially recognised with the Governor-General’s Achievement Award.

Mr. McEwan was among 39 outstanding Jamaicans honoured during a ceremony at King’s House on July 2, 2026.

The award recognised years of giving back to others through mentorship, advocacy and community involvement, despite facing significant personal challenges, including the loss of his eldest brother and father in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

“I am a writer, mentor, and someone who believes that knowledge carries the responsibility to serve others, whether through research, public commentary, community involvement, or mentoring young people,” he tells JIS News in an interview.

Born in the small town of Point Hill, St. Catherine, Mr. McEwan notes that it all began when he moved to Montego Bay, St. James, in 2017 chasing an opportunity.

That move turned out to be a fulfilling experience, albeit one punctuated by loss, grief, being temporarily unhoused and several near-death experiences.

Despite his personal challenges, Mr. McEwan recognised the many social and academic challenges affecting his peers at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona, Western campus, and young people in his community.

“While I was at the UWI learning advanced maths like calculus and statistics, I met a lecturer called Dr. Denarto Dennis. He was the head of the department of economics at the time… . He inspired me significantly along my journey because he realised that I really wanted to teach and I really wanted to help and inspire people and he bought me my first box of whiteboard markers and told me to go ahead and teach,” the G-G awardee details.

Armed with those markers and a passion for peer-led education, he channelled that inspiration into action, founding the “High Pass” initiative, which facilitated targeted tutoring sessions, preparing students for both their mid-semester and final examinations.

“I still do sessions even today at the Western campus and sometimes online… . Maths has helped me to connect and not just with university students but also helping students prepare for CXC at my church… . It’s been so wonderful to be able to pass on knowledge to different generations and just to see the smile on their face when they actually get it,” Mr. McEwan affirms.

He points out that much of his success in tutoring can be attributed to his practice of making lessons culturally relevant.

According to McEwan, standard educational curricula often underserve disenfranchised communities because the textbooks utilise unfamiliar examples, rather than items students see daily.

He maintains that by bridging this gap with culturally familiar references, educators can better support struggling students, particularly those from marginalised areas.

“I’ve realised that most of what we are using to teach our kids, they can’t really identify with it immediately or it takes a longer time for them to really get the connection, but when we use things that they can readily see and readily identify with… it really goes a long way,” the G-G awardee emphasises.

He points out that through his mentorship, dozens of students at various levels have conquered their fear of Mathematics and gone on to do well.

When he is not mentoring students, Mr. McEwan can often be found researching or writing on any number of social issues.

Unlike the typical mathematician, he has a love for language and self-expression through words.

He notes that this love affair with words began with his determination to excel in Critical Reading and Writing – a challenging UWI foundation course, taught by lecturer Norty Antoine, who was feared by many students.

“I told myself that I wanted to be great at Critical Reading and Writing, so I said no matter what, that’s the class I want to go in,” Mr. McEwan tells JIS News.

He not only excelled in the class but discovered a deep passion for writing and research.

“I published my first book of poetry called “Mind of Mine, Magic and Misery” in around 2021 and that was a great moment for me… and I started to write articles while I was in university,” the G-G awardee outlines.

He later went on to write his first paper about the ongoing State of Emergency (SOE) in St. James, guest columns in the daily newspaper, pieces for various corporate entities and threads on X.

Mr. McEwan also has his own website (https://themcewanindex.ghost.io/ ) where he shares independent economic research, policy analysis and data journalism on Jamaica and the Caribbean.

“I spend days, for example, watching parliament, reading different reports from Integrity Commission, and see how best I can make this digestible to the average Jamaican. Each time I write, I believe that I have a duty… to pass on this knowledge, to be able to impact community… for persons who want to speak but do not have a platform… for persons who want to speak but do not have a voice,” he emphasises.

It is this unwavering commitment to national service and community empowerment that paved the way for what Mr. McEwan describes as his greatest achievement thus far.

“Receiving the Governor-General’s Achievement Award is deeply humbling and for me it represents much more than a personal achievement. It really represents resilience and it reminds me that difficult seasons do not define our future, and every setback became a lesson and every disappointment really strengthened my resolve and every challenge shaped the person that I am today,” he tells JIS News.

The awardee emphasises that the award belongs not only to him but also everyone who encouraged him along the way, from Winston Davis, the UWI Western Campus Office of Student Services and Development Coordinator, who ensured he had a place to stay on campus; to his mentor and fellow G-G awardee, Dr. Rodean Sylvester, who guided him through difficult periods; and to his late father.

“While I was at the ceremony, I was struggling to hold back the tears and just thinking about how it would make him (father) proud to see me achieving an award like this,” Mr. McEwan shares.

It is this profound sense of purpose, rooted in his past struggles that fuels his vision to contribute to lasting change in Jamaica.

His eyes are set on serving as the Minister of Finance and one day, the Prime Minister of Jamaica.

“My goal is to provide research and solutions to St. James and at large Jamaica, so we can help to develop our communities, develop our country and continue to improve on our social and economic infrastructure,” Mr. McEwan adds.