Subscribe Login
Jamaica Observer
ePaper
The Edge 105 FM Radio Fyah 105 FM
Jamaica Observer
ePaper
The Edge 105 FM Radio Fyah 105 FM
    • Home
    • News
      • Latest News
      • Cartoon
      • International News
      • Central
      • North & East
      • Western
      • Environment
      • Health
      • #
    • Business
      • Business Bites
      • Social Love
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Basketball
      • Cricket
      • Horse Racing
      • World Champs
      • Commonwealth Games
      • FIFA World Cup
      • Olympics
      • #
    • Videos
    • Entertainment
      • Music
      • Movies
      • Art & Culture
      • Bookends
      • #
    • Lifestyle
      • Page2
      • Food
      • Tuesday Style
      • Food Awards
      • JOL Takes Style Out
      • Design Week JA
      • Black Friday
      • #
    • All Woman
      • Home
      • Relationships
      • Features
      • Fashion
      • Fitness
      • Rights
      • Parenting
      • Advice
      • #
    • Obits
    • Classifieds
      • Employment
      • Property
      • Motor Vehicles
      • Place an Ad
      • Obituaries
    • More
      • Games
      • Elections
      • Jobs & Careers
      • Study Centre
      • Jnr Study Centre
      • Letters
      • Columns
      • Advertorial
      • Editorial
      • Supplements
      • Webinars
    • Home
    • News
      • Latest News
      • Cartoon
      • International News
      • Central
      • North & East
      • Western
      • Environment
      • Health
      • #
    • Business
      • Business Bites
      • Social Love
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Basketball
      • Cricket
      • Horse Racing
      • World Champs
      • Commonwealth Games
      • FIFA World Cup
      • Olympics
      • #
    • Videos
    • Entertainment
      • Music
      • Movies
      • Art & Culture
      • Bookends
      • #
    • Lifestyle
      • Page2
      • Food
      • Tuesday Style
      • Food Awards
      • JOL Takes Style Out
      • Design Week JA
      • Black Friday
      • #
    • All Woman
      • Home
      • Relationships
      • Features
      • Fashion
      • Fitness
      • Rights
      • Parenting
      • Advice
      • #
    • Obits
    • Classifieds
      • Employment
      • Property
      • Motor Vehicles
      • Place an Ad
      • Obituaries
    • More
      • Games
      • Elections
      • Jobs & Careers
      • Study Centre
      • Jnr Study Centre
      • Letters
      • Columns
      • Advertorial
      • Editorial
      • Supplements
      • Webinars
  • Home
  • News
    • International News
  • Latest
  • Business
    • Business Bites
  • Cartoon
  • Games
  • Food Awards
  • Health
  • Entertainment
    • Bookends
  • Regional
  • Sports
    • Sports
    • World Cup
    • World Champs
    • Olympics
  • Videos
  • Career & Education
  • Classifieds
  • All Woman
  • Environment
  • Webinars
  • More
    • Football
    • Elections
    • Letters
    • Advertorial
    • Columns
    • Editorial
    • Supplements
  • Epaper
  • Design Week
Cornwall College ‘baller Birch targets career in dental medicine
Cornwall College's Salano Birch is as comfortable in the chemistrylab as he is on the football field.
Dacosta Cup, Football, Sports
February 26, 2020

Cornwall College ‘baller Birch targets career in dental medicine

MONTEGO BAY, St James — In an era where schoolboys — footballers are increasingly targeting professional football and the fame and fortune that it offers, Cornwall College’s Solano Birch is breaking that mould as he looks towards a career in medicine.

Birch, who won the first ever Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) football academic award at a recent ceremony, says while he is not ready to hang up his boots at the end of his high school career, football is a means to an end for him as his ultimate goal is to become a dental surgeon.

Birch is the second Cornwall College athlete to win an academic award after high jumper Daniel Meggo won the Bright Spike Award, given to the top academic student competing at the 2019 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships.

The midfielder, who transferred from cross-town rivals Herbert Morrison Technical two years ago after completing 11th grade, has nine distinctions in CSEC, getting his first in ninth grade in 2016 and eight more in 11th grade and also has two Grade Ones and two Grade Threes in CAPE.

He told the Jamaica Observer recently that “I feel rewarded as I have worked hard enough to get what I have achieved”.

Birch, who was in the chemistry lab with his classmates when this newspaper caught up with him, said: “I feel very proud to know that I have put in the hard work and kept focused and now I am being rewarded for it.”

“At this time for me playing football is secondary, it’s more of the academics side that is more important to me as I try to stay focused in school and the sports come naturally,” he said.

Birch says he wants to follow the footsteps of his coach at Cornwall College, Dr Dean Weatherly, and pursue a career in dental surgery.

“I wanted to do medicine, but I have been motivated by coach Weatherly as he is one of my role models,” noted the player.

Birch’s other role model is his uncle, former Reggae Boy Dane Richards, who played professionally in the United States and England.

He is not fussy about where he will attend school and says The University of the West Indies, Mona is an option, while he has reached out to a number of American institutions without luck.

Birch claimed his two seasons playing for Cornwall College brought mixed results.

“The first season I overperformed based on my own expectations, while this last season was not as good but I learned valuable lessons from it; it was not what I expected and I underperformed,” he shared..

In his first season in 2018, Birch played a big role in Cornwall College becoming the first school outside of Kingston to win the ISSA Champions Cup. The team also went to the final of the daCosta Cup.

In 2019, despite losing almost two-thirds of the team, Cornwall College got the the semi-finals of both the daCosta Cup and ISSA Champions Cup.

Leaving Herbert Morrison to attend Cornwall College was not as difficult as it may have seemed, he said.

“The transition was not hard as most of the boys I know at Cornwall, I had known from primary school; we played on the same parish teams and also came through the Under-13 competition, so the socialising was not a factor in settling into the new school,” Birch stated.

Not that there were not hurdles to clear, but that came mainly in the classroom.

“The hardest thing adjusting to was the teaching style at Cornwall, which was much harder, especially in chemistry, but it was just the teaching styles,” he explained.

When he chose to attend Cornwall, Birch said their were other options.

“My uncle [Richards] went to Cornwall, so he had a hand in it, but I also had Kingston College as an option… [but I] have no regrets in coming to Cornwall, and things happen for a reason,” he ended.

— Paul Reid

SalanoBirch (right)in actionagainstMunroCollege inthe quarterfinalsof theISSA/WatadaCosta Cuplast season.(Photos: PaulReid)

{"website":"website"}{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
0 Comments · Make a comment

ALSO ON JAMAICA OBSERVER

Mbappe embraces Ballon d’Or talk after historic World Cup exploits
International News, Latest News
Mbappe embraces Ballon d’Or talk after historic World Cup exploits
September 7, 2026
MADRID, Spain (AFP)—Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe said Monday it was natural for people to consider him a potential Ballon d'Or winner this year a...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Gov’t has money but it’s not reaching those in need, says Robinson
Latest News, News
Gov’t has money but it’s not reaching those in need, says Robinson
September 7, 2026
KINGSTON, Jamaica—Opposition Spokesman on Finance Julian Robinson says the government has the resources to assist Jamaicans, but argues the money is n...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Seville and Tina Clayton lead J’can to Ultimate Champs
Latest News, Sports
Seville and Tina Clayton lead J’can to Ultimate Champs
September 7, 2026
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Newly crowned Wanda Diamond League 100m champions Oblique Seville and Tina Clayton have been included in Jamaica’s 27-member team ...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Caricom urges closer collaboration with Africa
International News, Latest News, Regional
Caricom urges closer collaboration with Africa
September 7, 2026
CASTRIES, St Lucia (CMC) — Caribbean Community (Caricom) Chairman, Prime Minister Phillip J Pierre, on Monday urged Africa and the Caribbean regions t...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Two injured in shooting along Constant Spring Road — reports
Latest News, News
Two injured in shooting along Constant Spring Road — reports
September 7, 2026
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Reports reaching  Observer Online  are that two people were shot and injured along Constant Spring Road in St Andrew on Monday aft...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Cuba denounces ‘record’ economic damage from US embargo
International News, Latest News, Regional
Cuba denounces ‘record’ economic damage from US embargo
September 7, 2026
HAVANA, Cuba (AFP)—The United States embargo on Cuba incurred "record" losses of over $8 billion on the communist island between March last year and F...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Panama Canal says not ruling out new transit restrictions due to El Nino
International News, Latest News
Panama Canal says not ruling out new transit restrictions due to El Nino
September 7, 2026
PANAMA CITY, Panama (AFP)—The Panama Canal is not ruling out new restrictions on ship traffic due to a drought exacerbated by the El Nino weather phen...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
King Charles classes Harry and Meghan as ‘private citizens’
International News, Latest News
King Charles classes Harry and Meghan as ‘private citizens’
September 7, 2026
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP)—King Charles III on Monday said his son Harry and the prince's wife Meghan are not to be considered "working members of t...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
❮ ❯

Polls

HOUSE RULES

  1. We welcome reader comments on the top stories of the day. Some comments may be republished on the website or in the newspaper; email addresses will not be published.
  2. Please understand that comments are moderated and it is not always possible to publish all that have been submitted. We will, however, try to publish comments that are representative of all received.
  3. We ask that comments are civil and free of libellous or hateful material. Also please stick to the topic under discussion.
  4. Please do not write in block capitals since this makes your comment hard to read.
  5. Please don't use the comments to advertise. However, our advertising department can be more than accommodating if emailed: advertising@jamaicaobserver.com.
  6. If readers wish to report offensive comments, suggest a correction or share a story then please email: community@jamaicaobserver.com.
  7. Lastly, read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy

Recent Posts

Archives

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Tweets

Polls

Recent Posts

Archives

Logo Jamaica Observer
Breaking news from the premier Jamaican newspaper, the Jamaica Observer. Follow Jamaican news online for free and stay informed on what's happening in the Caribbean
Featured Tags
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Health
  • Auto
  • Business
  • Letters
  • Page2
  • Football
Categories
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Page2
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Page2
Ads
img
Jamaica Observer, © All Rights Reserved
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • RSS Feeds
  • Feedback
  • Privacy Policy
  • Editorial Code of Conduct