JDF Lieutenant Off to UK on Commonwealth Scholarship

Copping a Commonwealth scholarship for 2026 is an objective Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) Coast Guard and Military Officer Lieutenant (Senior Grade), Ricardo Hunter, had on his vision board for the last three years.

On Tuesday (August 25), his dream became a reality after he was officially announced as one of four Commonwealth scholarship recipients for the 2026/27 academic year by the British High Commission in Kingston.

The occasion was a farewell reception for the 2026 cohort of Commonwealth scholars, Chevening scholars and Queen Elizabeth Trust Awardees.

During an interview with JIS News at the event, Mr. Hunter explained that since undergoing a previous defence training in the United Kingdom (UK), he had his eyes set on receiving one of the three categories of UK scholarships.

“Essentially, I wanted to pursue a master’s [degree] that would complement my engineering degree [and] in a way that would expose me to commercialising new technology, so that I could facilitate my desire of collaborating academia, military efforts and private-sector efforts towards defence solutions,” Mr. Hunter explained.

“It’s a dream come true. It’s something I had on my vision board. I had it in my five-year plan, but sometimes not everything goes according to plan, but the fact that I had this, I pursued it and I feel elated. I added it in 2023 after training in the UK in the Royal Navy to do marine engineering. I was sent there by the Jamaica Defence Force’s Coast Guard,” he said.

Mr. Hunter also explained that while in the UK, he heard of an event that featured Jamaica’s motivational speakers Terri-Karelle Reid and Zachary Harding and convinced a friend to drive him to Birmingham to attend that event.

While there, a Chevening scholar that he knew, saw him in the crowd, called out his alias, and while greeting and talking, she explained that her presence there was a result of being a Chevening scholar.

“I learnt that she was there on the scholarship and I inquired about it (scholarship in the UK) and told myself it looks like something I should go for,” he said.

After returning to Jamaica, and with the demands of his job and life responsibilities in Jamaica, Mr. Hunter delayed his application until 2025. To add to the motivation, his friend, Kemoy Watson, who knew of his dream, sent a reminder when the scholarship applications reopened for 2026.

“I applied and 10 months later here I am [a scholar],” the excited soldier told JIS News.

He is now looking forward to the First-World country’s exposure in marine and drone technology while pursuing a master’s degree in Innovation and Technology Management at the University of Bath.

“I’m looking forward to just the cultural exchange, learning about new things, learning how they solve their problems, because I know they’re very practical when it comes to their engineering solutions. I’m looking forward to doing some sailing and salsa and just exploring the UK’s culture,” Mr. Hunter said.

“What I really want to do is to facilitate a collaboration between academia, the military and private sector. When you look at other countries, what they normally do for schools, for their engineering final projects, they’re able to do defence projects, and I want to facilitate the same thing. So, certain solutions that we want in maritime security, we will speak with UTech Jamaica and make that a major project and we’ll have students doing research on that, [and] develop different solutions… . Our students get a grade, we get a product and Jamaica gets security,” he said.

If one asks why salsa specifically is in the mix, his response was, “I did some salsa while I was there before.”

He chose the University of Bath because of a specific youthful engineering lecturer named Professor Alan Hunter there, whose work he admires and wants to learn from, especially given that they share the same surname.

“He does extensive work when it comes to drone technology; sea drone technology, and that’s something I actually want to develop and implement as a technological solution in the JDF coast guard for defence and maritime security. If I work closely with him, it would make it easier for me to implement that solution here,” he explained.

Mr. Hunter acquired a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mechanical Engineering from UTech Jamaica in 2018 with first-class honours.

He has been a public servant with the JDF for the past eight years.

Prior to that, he served at Arel Limited Engineers and Contractors.

For 2026, the three other Commonwealth scholars include Jerome Garwood, Lamar-Shey Grant and Emoney Clayton.