It was a joyful moment for three honour roll students of Mount Alvernia High School in Montego Bay, St James, who received well-needed scholarships valued at US$1,500 each.

The scholarships, which were made possible by the less than- a-year-old Harriet Hall Foundation, was presented to the grade seven students during the school’s devotion last week Monday.

One of the recipients, 12-year-old fatherless student Shaniya Draggon, who has four siblings, in expressing gratitude, noted that her family has been waiting for quite some time for help.

“I am feeling very excited, because we [family] have been waiting for some time now to get some help, because my father is dead and my mother has been struggling with all of us [four siblings],” said Draggon, adding that “I am very happy that now we got help.”

Javina Graham, another recipient, was all too elated to receive the scholarship on her birthday.

“I am very happy to win this scholarship, especially on my birthday,” Graham expressed.

Graham said the scholarship will provide her with all the supplies needed for school.

Thirteen-year-old Chardie-Kay Washington, the other awardee, said the scholarship “will assist in relieving some financial weight from off my parents”, adding that it will also “push me to work harder to achieve more scholarships”.

Principal of the all-girls school, Stacey Reynolds, hailed the Harriet Hall Foundation, which is made up of young past students, for providing the scholarships.

She pointed out that apart from the institution’s Old Girls’ Association Florida chapter, the school rarely receives help from past students.

“When I spoke to them [Harriet Hall Foundation members], they appreciated everything that was done here for them, and they felt the need to give back,” Reynolds noted.

“It is truly, truly a pleasure especially for the three young ladies who received them [scholarships]. They are needy kids, but they are very bright students. So, it is pleasing for us, and I am sure it will go a far way for them.”

Chief Executive Officer for Harriet Hall Foundation, Taedeen Stanley Barksdale, said the idea of a foundation was hatched following the death of a schoolmate some years ago, and the need to honour her. The foundation was launched in August 2018.

“The main reason for the foundation is to give back to the students. When we were in high school, none of us had it easy, and too many times kids with potential and knowledge get left behind because they can’t pay for tuition. So, that is the main goal of the scholarship,” said Stanley-Barksdale.

President of the charitable organisation, Shanneil Duffus, told the Observer West that the three awardees were selected from a total of 20 students who wrote to the foundation seeking assistance.

“The selection process is that students would write a letter stating why is it that they need this scholarship. They had to have like a B-average, there had to be a particular extracurricular activity, they had to get the permission from their homeroom teacher, and after that they would have submitted their application to their guidance counsellors,” outlined Duffus, adding that the foundation then collects the letters and go through them one by one and makes a selection.

Duffus pointed out that the needs of the students made the competitive selection process difficult for her team.

She pointed out that the scholarships will cover the students’ tuition, books, uniforms, bags, lunch and school activities for an entire year.

The foundation hopes to increase the number of recipients in coming years.

And arguing that “it takes a village to raise a child”, Stanley Barksdale is calling on persons to visit the foundation’s respective social media pages and website, and support the foundation “in whatever way they can”.

The foundation, she noted, is funded through fundraisers and grants.