JCF Sergeant Receives Marcus Garvey Public-Sector Graduate Scholarship

When Sergeant Kensley Shay joined the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) some 10 years ago, his decision was solely based on making a means to an end, he admits.

Little did he know that being part of the 152-year-old organisation would lead to him becoming one of the recipients of the 2022 prestigious Marcus Garvey Public Sector Graduate Scholarships.

The scholarships were established by the Government in 2020 to offer Jamaican nationals and citizens employed in the public sector, the opportunity to obtain postgraduate degrees from competitive, appropriately accredited universities in Jamaica, North America and Europe.

A native of the parish of St. Thomas, Sergeant Shay tells JIS News that he wanted to apply for the scholarship from the moment it was announced by Finance Minister, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, that the Government would be making money available to fund graduate studies of public-sector workers.

“I have learned a lot from being in the JCF for 10 years and I believe in continuous learning. After I finished my first degree, I was pretty sure I would do a Masters. When I first heard about the scholarship I was in my final year at (UWI), so I wanted to be a part of that,” he says.

Sergeant Shay, who was a valedictorian at the University of the West Indies for the Faculty of Social Sciences, completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration last year.

He says the realisation that he could excel academically gave him the impetus to apply.

He credits the JCF for helping to mould his character. “When I first joined the JCF it really was a means to an end. But then I realised after about my first two years, I love public service. I can say I’ve had invaluable experiences within the JCF, and I’ve learned a lot inside and outside about myself,” Sergeant Shay notes.

Now assigned to the Protective Services Division, he says he felt he could merge his love for innovation and apply it to serving in the JCF.

“I realised that if I can mix the innovation with the public service, it could make a difference. Just to add a little innovation to my operations when I was working at Hunt’s Bay Police Station, it helped in a lot of ways,” Sergeant Shay says.

He began the process of applying for the scholarship by completing the necessary paperwork and interviews. To be selected for the scholarship, applicants are interviewed by a distinguished panel consisting of the Governor-General and other members of academia.

Sergeant Shay says based on how he conducted himself during the interview, he was confident that he would be selected for the scholarship.

“They try to pull out of you how much you want to contribute to the country. I think they’re trying to be more indepth in regard to the public service. So, I think it’s the way I was able to explain my approach to the national security aspect of it and my experiences thus far in the JCF,” he adds.

This year, 14 persons were selected for the scholarships, which took place at a ceremony at King’s House on the birthday of Marcus Garvey, August 17.

Successful candidates are bonded to the Government for five years after the completion of their area of study.

Sergeant Shay believes he will be able to use the Master’s degree in the area of National Security and Strategic studies to better enhance policing in Jamaica.

“I think we need continuous learning because our national security must be considered one of our core developmental goals. We can see the social and economic damage that is brought on by crime. I think this requires a strategic and a more proactive approach, because you have persons leaving university and still becoming criminals,” he notes.

“That is why I believe in higher and continued learning. We have to continue learning, so that we can evolve and respond to new and emerging crimes. We know of persons with very high intellectual capacities, and they are involved in crime, so we don’t want our officers not being effectively trained to respond in that regard,” Sergeant Shay tells JIS News.

He says upon learning that he was selected for the scholarship, he was beyond grateful.

“I was excited, I really wanted the scholarship, I felt really good. I was encouraged and I am looking forward to starting the programme,” he adds.

He is encouraging other public-sector workers to apply for the Marcus Garvey Public Sector Graduate Scholarship.

“Most of us would have sacrificed a lot to pay for our first degree, so if the Government is going to actually pay for your second degree, why not go ahead and take up the offer… you should definitely apply,” Sergeant Shay says.

He was also keen to stress the importance of pursuing higher education, especially to his colleagues in the JCF.

“You have to be very strategic and calculated. When I joined 10 years ago, I had a lot of issues trying to weigh school and work for the first five years. I knew I wanted to go to university, but I didn’t know how to get it done, because I was in Operations,” he says.

“I found out about UWI’s weekend programme. The weekend programme is gold for people who work. Regular school is three years, the weekend programme lasts for four years… . You go on Saturdays and you spend all day. I gave up all of my Saturdays for four years. I went to school for 10 and a half months each year for the four years,” Sergeant Shay points out.