GOING to dances in their native Manchester and checking out the latest music trends was a big deal for producer James Smith and singer Rad Dixon back in the late 1980s. Education was also high on their chart.

Recently, the duo decided to give back to their parish by assisting a promising son of Manchester’s soil. Smith’s Tasjay Productions will assist with the living expenses of Delon Scott, who is in the second of a three-year scholarship at G C Foster College of Physical Education and Sport in Spanish Town.

“We were impressed that he has a 3.89 GPA [grade point average] and Rad said we should do something to help. He’s from Dunsinane, which is Rad’s district, and it’s good to see a young man doing this well,” Smith told the Jamaica Observer.

Last year the 20 year-old Scott was named recipient of the Jamaican Government’s Arthur Wint Scholarship. It covers his tuition fees as he seeks a degree in physical education.

Scott is a past student of Porus High School in Manchester. He has seven passes at the CSEC level and is grateful for support from the Toronto-based company.

“It is of paramount importance as it give persons like myself a fair chance at education. At present, I see myself pursuing my master’s [in physical education] but in the future I would love to be an educator,” he said.

G C Foster College has produced a number of outstanding sportsmen including Danny McFarlane, a quarter-miler/hurdler who won several silver medals at the Olympics and World Championships; and Tamar Lambert, one of the Jamaica national cricket team’s most successful captains.

Scott grew up in a musically rich region as some of the prominent names out of central Manchester include Garnet Silk and General Degree.

Smith established Tasjay Productions over 10 years ago. Dixon, who lives in South Florida, is one of the company’s main acts.