MONTEGO BAY, St James – Four years after its inception as the only learning institution of its kind in St James, the independent and private Fairfield International Academy (FIA) is gearing up to celebrate its first graduating class on June 8.

Two brilliant students — Harshita Sharu and Dev Bharwani — will happily walk the stage to collect their diplomas after what head principal of the institution, Griffin Morse, described as a “successful” journey at FIA.

“Harshita and Dev have been accepted to over 15 colleges in Canada and the United States of America (USA). We have a very successful first graduating class with lots of exciting opportunities not just to choose a great college among the ones they have been accepted to, but they have been given scholarships and entrance into special programmes,” Morse told the Jamaica Observer West.

FIA was reportedly born out of the need to provide an avenue for children living in western Jamaica to not only acquire internationally accredited education, but to receive preparation for the ever-evolving world. The school was opened in Reading, St James, with 20 students.

With some 43 students now enrolled in the high school programme, Morse credits the school’s intimate nature and advanced curriculum for his students’ achievements thus far. However, he pointed out to the Observer West that Sharu and Bharwani have also worked diligently over the last four years in not only academics, but also extra-curricular activities.

Their curious mind and heart for service, the head principal noted, have encouraged the students to organise multiple clubs and societies at FIA—an obvious sign of their leadership qualities— he added.

“There are a lot of small successes that these guys have made… because they’re really diligent and they follow through. They also do independent learning online; Harshita took an anatomy course through Harvard University… and Dev did some research on the stock market. So, our students are doing a lot of interesting stuff, exploring, and growing individually,” Morse explained.

Sixteen-year-old Bharwani’s success cannot be described as a small one. Through hard work and commitment, the young boy has secured a place at Northeastern University where he will study business.

He lauds FIA for investing in his education.

“The reason why I chose this school was because of their advocacy of critical thinking and self-development, making you become independent and teaching you how to be a global citizen. That really helped me to stand out when I was applying to college,” the boy said.

“Because of the growth I did here, I was able to get into universities I thought were out of my reach even while I was applying. The university that I committed to now, Northeastern University, was a big shock when I got in. I didn’t even realise how low the acceptance rate was until I got in…it was about a 10 per cent acceptance rate. That made me very grateful for this school.”

Sharu echoed similar sentiments.

After spending four years at the institution, the 17-year-old girl is ready to move on to the tertiary level. She noted that she was accepted into 11 overseas universities with three scholarship offerings.

“I really like the one-on-one experience that we have with the teachers. Our curriculum is more geared towards international studies, so we are able to take Advanced Placement (AP) exams with the College Board which is something American students do,” she told the Observer West, adding that these examinations allow students to acquire college credits before beginning their tertiary education.

With a dream to study biology, it is no surprise that Sharu chose to further her education at Michigan State University. After all, the programme is ranked in the top 15 per cent across the USA, she said.

“I’m going to Michigan State University, and I will be joining the Lyman Briggs College, which is a residential college for science students. So, I’ll be taking all the science courses,” Sharu said, while noting that FIA has prepared her for this transition as she has taken several science classes at the secondary level.

Though the graduating class is small, FIA’s board chair Laura Lake believes that this is a historic achievement for the independent institution.

“We’re having our first graduating class which is just two students, but both of whom have done exceptionally well in their college acceptances. They have also been personally coached by Mr Morse,” Lake told the Observer West.

“It is so inspiring to see what has been accomplished and, more importantly, not just the growth of the school, but the growth of the students themselves into such confident young [individuals],” she added.

“It is no easy task in education, and it certainly has not been as a private school with the COVID considerations over the last couple of years. But to see these kids and their resilience, transitioning to the university level is really quite rewarding.”