Student Receives Scholarship from JEPA

A 15-year-old student at the Kitson Town Evening Institute in St. Catherine has received a scholarship valued $150,000 from the Jamaica Ex-Police Association of South Florida (JEPA) Inc.

The recipient is Rayona Edwards, and her mother, Christine Thompson Bryan, told JIS News that the gesture is joy for her, and the money will assist her daughter to continue her education.

“It is well appreciated. It has done a lot for me and my child because I can now use money to do other things, while her subjects are paid for,” she said, after the presentation of the cheque at the Kitson Town Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church on June 15.

Assistant Treasurer for JEPA, Samuel Bryan, said the group is giving back to communities in Jamaica and has been doing so for more than 20 years, reaching all the parishes with support for persons desirous of getting an education, and also support to basic schools.

“We hope that this will help them as they make their academic advancements, and it is hoped that they will take up their worthwhile places in society,” Mr. Bryan said.

Principal of the Institute, Michael McDonald, told JIS News that the student has been attending the institution since September 2023, has gained some subjects, and will be sitting exams for other subjects, so that she can matriculate to university.

“She is goal-oriented, and the institution spotted her qualities, and she will inspire others through her dedicated work and commitment to academic excellence,” the Principal said.

The Institute is operated by the Kitson Town Circuit of SDA Churches, with teachers who volunteer their service, and accommodates an average of 200 students annually.

“We offer a second chance to students who have dropped out of school, or who did not achieve the required subjects that they need to matriculate. We also assist those who need extra help, and many lives have been transformed. We are changing lives for the better of the community and our society,” Mr. McDonald said.