G-G Achievement Awards Recipient Highlights PATH Programme As Major Factor In Her Success

Governor-General’s Achievement Awards (GGAA) 2026 recipient, Sasha Williams, says the Government’s Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), was one of the major factors that secured her academic journey and propelled her towards national recognition.

Ms. Williams, who hails from Glengoffe, St. Catherine, was among 39 outstanding Jamaicans honoured during a ceremony at King’s House on July 2.

The award recognised her resilient and purpose-driven leadership, acts of service to her community and her unwavering commitment to uplifting others.

It further represented her triumph over hardships and instability she experienced in her childhood as the eldest of nine siblings.

“I grew up without a dad… . There were many days when my mother couldn’t afford to do the basic things for me, such as find lunch money to send me to school, pay for my CSEC (Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate) subjects… just the little things that you need as a child growing up to help finance your education so you can get the full length of what you need to thrive,” Ms. Williams told JIS News.

She noted that, thankfully, her “village”, which consisted of a network of extended family, church members from the Glengoffe New Testament Church of God and dedicated high-school teachers, provided her with a critical safety net.

Their efforts were also bolstered by the support that she received as a beneficiary of the PATH programme.

“I’ve been a beneficiary of the PATH programme, and so right throughout high school, I was getting my PATH lunches…and that was one of the reasons why I had so much security,” Ms. Williams stated.

While she describes herself as a late bloomer when it comes to academics, the GGAA recipient served in multiple leadership roles, including President of the Inter-School Christian Fellowship, President of the Speech and Drama Club, President of the Red Cross, and Head Girl at St. Mary’s College.

She was also heavily involved in her church, having got baptised while she was attending high school.

“I was doing all this while simultaneously being involved in church. I was teaching Sunday school… . I was youth fellowship president at one point. I was doing all of these things simultaneously because it was also a means of escape from the things that I would have been going through,” the GGAA recipient shared.

She noted that after doing well in her CSEC examinations she went on to pursue an undergraduate degree in Language, Communication and Society, with a minor in Cultural Studies, at the University of the West Indies, Mona.

When she was not focused on her studies, she was mentoring students in St. Catherine, guiding their personal and academic development.

“Mentorship for me started from as early as high school… . They had big brother, big sister programmes where they paired you with somebody else,” Ms. Williams told JIS News.

When she moved on to University, she became a mentor with the Hope Valley Mentorship Programme, run by the Aston Preston Hall at the UWI Mona Campus.

“I was a peer career advisor, then went on to senior peer career advisor. From then, I was always invited to speak to students at schools, different clubs [and] programmes geared towards youth development,” Ms. Williams stated.

Alongside her mentorship activities, the GGAA awardee has also been involved in giving back tangibly.

Ms. Williams explained that in 2019, she created the NIA Foundation Initiative, through which she has led charity outreach, including Christmas treats, in her community, in recent years.

“I was able to officially launch the NIA Foundation Initiative in my community last December where I had a health fair… . It doubled up as a health fair [and] a relief effort… and we’re scheduled to have it again this August 22 in the community,” she informed.

Meanwhile, Ms. Williams noted that she is humbled and honoured to be among the 2026 GGAA recipients.

“When I got the email that I was selected, I sat with the email for about one week before I even said it to anyone because I was wondering if it was real, to be very honest,” she shared.

The GGAA recipient emphasised that the award has motivated her to continue the work that she has been doing and filling the gaps in her community where possible.

“I’m very passionate about public service and I tell persons that I want to continue to work in public service,” she stated.

Ms. Williams is currently employed with the Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation (JANAAC) and is pursuing a Master of Science Degree in International Public and Development Management at the UWI Mona.

She believes her studies will allow her to make even more meaningful contributions to the Jamaican society.