Fifteen students from Seaview Gardens, an urban community of mostly working-class Jamaicans, were last month awarded Goodyear Jamaica Scholarships to continue their education at high schools.

The scholarships – three valued at $20,000 and 12 bursaries – were granted to Seaview Gardens Primary’s graduates who performed well in their GSAT examinations.

Two of this year’s recipients, Creaton Dwyer and Hanijah Willis, the top GSAT boy and girl respectively, each received $20,000.

Goodyear, which has been presenting the scholarships since 2002, also made a second $20,000 award plus an additional $5,000 to Sophia Bryan for outstanding academic achievement in her first year at Meadowbrook High School.

Bryan had received a scholarship from Goodyear last year when she was about to leave Seaview Gardens Primary.

“The development of young minds is critical to the development of our country,” said Goodyear Jamaica general manager Peter Graham. “Irrespective of community, every child must be afforded a chance to further themselves.”

Graham said that while the programme recognises and rewards academic excellence, the commitment is two-way and both parents and students are obliged to manage the endowment properly and sustain high academic performance throughout the funding period.

“We have invested almost a quarter of a million dollars in this year’s programme for Seaview Gardens because we believe it is the right thing to do as a responsible corporate citizen,” Graham said. “We are backing the Seaview community, and like any good investment, we expect returns.”

Each year, the Goodyear Scholarship Programme endows approximately $500,000 to deserving inner-city students.