TOWER ISLE, St Mary — Former United States marine and lawyer Donald Brown did not start college until he was 37 years old.

At that point he was confined to a wheelchair, but although he made a late start, Brown was able to excel and go on to Harvard University where he studied law.

Now a motivational speaker and author, Brown is on a mission to encourage people to achieve self actualisation and to dream.

Students of the International University of the Caribbean, Tower Isle, St Mary, were on Tuesday treated to one of his motivational sessions at the institution, through the efforts of the institution’s Pro-vice Chancellor Everoy Chin.

Chin said that he saw it relevant to bring in a motivational speaker in a bid to let students from rural Jamaica realise that they too can achieve their dreams.

Also participating in the session were several students from the neighbouring Iona High School.

Chin said that the decision was taken to have the session for students in rural Jamaica who, in his estimation, are often left out.

“For a very long time, Kingston was the place for tertiary education. The overwhelming majority of students from rural areas would always have to make their way to Kingston to access higher education,” Chin said, adding that IUC had brought high quality advanced learning to rural Jamaica.

“We have been taking tertiary education to the people in the areas where they reside. Our university has demonstrated that Kingston is not Jamaica; and that we ‘country people’ have both the appetite and the ability to make good use of opportunities for higher learning,” he stated.

Chin, who is also a well known businessman, said that IUC remains resolute in its commitment to make programmes as flexible and as accessible as possible. There are currently three campuses in St Mary. He said that the focus is not on quantity or money but to bring quality education to the people.

The operator of the Robin’s Bay Hotel said that it is with the aim to produce quality that the motivational session was organised for the young minds of the institution and students of Iona High School, insisting that the session was a “celebration of the human spirit and what people can accomplish when inspired.

“We have big dreams and big tasks and we need to feed hearts and minds with inspiration and tools for self-motivation,” Chin went on.

Brown, in addressing the students, told them that changing Jamaica lies with them.

“Every one of you can change Jamaica,” he told the audience.

“You can do anything … when I was 37 years old I was in a hospital and I had never gone beyond elementary school and I also couldn’t walk,” he told the students, emphasising that by dreaming big and working to accomplish those dreams, he was able to succeed.