MICHELLAE Walker, a graduate of St Andrew High School for Girls, was recently awarded the Albert ‘Bertie’ Morris Scholarship by the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) & Partners Co-operative Credit Union.

The $150,000 scholarship is awarded annually to a tertiary level student who is a member or child of a member of the credit union, and is in honour of founding member and past president Albert Morris.

Walker, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in accounting at the University of the West Indies, said she had been hoping for a Good Samaritan to assist with funding the cost for her tertiary education.

“I feel very blessed and grateful. I have faith in myself, but I never thought this would happen,” she explained at the awards ceremony at the Knutsford Court Hotel on August 20.

“I applied for the scholarship because my parents’ income combined was not enough to completely finance my education and I did not want to have to take a loan from the Students’ Loan Bureau,” said Walker, who has five distinctions and two credits in CSEC.

Her mother, Diana Walker is a member of the credit union.

Walker said she wants to become an entrepreneur in the future and kick-start her career with a crochet business.

In addition, three specially selected Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) students from Central Branch All-Age, which the credit union has adopted, were awarded.

The students are Tahj Morgan, Crissana Miller and Devon McGregor.

Thirty-six other GSAT students who are either members of who have parents as members were given bursaries.

This year’s scholarships and bursaries were valued at approximately $3.3-million.