MONTEGO BAY, ST JAMES — Six students from a similar number of non-traditional high schools across western Jamaica this week received scholarships from the Scotia Bank Foundation, valued at a total of $750,000.

The recipients, who are now students at the Montego Bay Community College (MBCC) in Montego Bay include:

* Denton Dewar, from the Muschette High School in Trelawny. He is the only male in the group;

* Latoya Rodney from Anchovy High in St James;

* Monelle Woode from Merlene Ottey High in Hanover;

* Stacy-Ann Myles from Petersfield High, also in Westmoreland;

* Beverly Dixon of Knockalva High in Hanover; and

* Kelesha Peters of Cambridge High, also in St James.

The scholarships will cover the cost of tuition, books, uniform, lunch, travelling, and examination fees.

“Without this help, it would be difficult to complete my education. They have given me a start and I will try my best to live up to their expectation,” Dewar told the Observer.

As for Myles, she said she was now motivated to work even harder.

“I think it makes me want to achieve more, and it will encourage others to work as hard as I did,” she said.

Six other students, also from the MBCC where the awards ceremony was held, received a range of scholarships from the college. Those awardees include:

* Ayeisha Maxwell, who won the Simon Clarke scholarship;

* David Wong, who won the Giuseppe Maffesanti scholarship;

* Tashania Stennett, who won the Ivy Townsend scholarship;

* Antonio Buddington, the MBCC student Council scholarhip;

* Shantalee Campbell, the Barbara Nelson scholarship; and

* Samoya Smith, who won the Lorna Nembhard Memorial scholarship.

The winners were judged on their high level of academic achievements, which was evident among both groups of students.

The Scotia scholarship winners had 48 CXC subjects with 13 distinctions among them and MBCC awardees were all top performers in their group, each with a B plus average.

In addition to their academic performance, the students were selected on the basis of their use of English and communication skills, their participation in co-curricular and community activities and their awareness of current events and career goals.

Scotia’s managing director, William Clarke, who spoke at the ceremony, said there needs to be increased investment in education.

“We must spend more on education,” he said, adding that the vision for education should be a means by which young people learn to live their dreams, not a means by which they can get a job.

According to Clarke, the 10.8 per cent of the budget that is allocated by government to education each year was not enough, and the private sector needs to get involved through the provision of financial aid to students, and to educational institutions across the island.

His organisation, he said, had been providing that kind of support through the 50 scholarships awarded to GSAT students each year, 100 bursaries to high school students for CXC examinations, and an open scholarship to the universities and colleges in the island, like the University of Technology and the College of Agriculture Science, and Education.