NEGRIL, Hanover – Attending college and caring for a child with special needs has not been easy for 20-year-old Chelsea Moncrieffe, a second-year student pursuing a course in special education at the Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College in St James.

Despite the challenge of caring for her three-year-old son, Moncrieffe used her experience to assist in guiding her career choices.

“It is challenging taking care of my son and attending college. He is the reason why I chose special education because he has autism spectrum disorder. I believe that getting educated within that field will help me to be better able to understand him, deal with him and will also help me to go into the classroom and assist other children and parents going through the same challenges as I am,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

She is one of three young women who were awarded $75,000 each by the Rotary Club of Negril during a recent ceremony at the Royalton Negril Resort and Spa in Hanover.

At Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College, the fee is more than $470,000 for those who board on campus and $326,000 per year for those who do not. Even though Moncrieffe receives support from her son’s father, she said it was challenging for her during her first year.

“I really thank the Rotary Club of Negril because the assistance with my tuition fee will take me a long way. Some people may look at it as just $75,000 but that is more than what I need to register for college for the year. I really thank them for their assistance with my tuition fee for the year,” she told Observer West.

Eighteen-year-old Bridgette McKenzie is also among those who have benefitted from the generosity of the Rotary Club of Negril. A former outstanding student of Mount Alvernia High School in St James, she will be heading into her first year of studying law at The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus this year.

For McKenzie, coming up with the tuition fee of $1.5 million per year is a challenge. Then there is also the cost of boarding, food and other necessities.

“This will assist because trying to find scholarships and grants for law is very hard. Most scholarships nowadays are mostly towards STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) students. For law, it is like one or two [available scholarships] but it’s not a lot. And so, this will really help,” stated McKenzie, who said she is also trying to access student loans.

Her schoolmate Richell Guthrie is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in primary education with a focus on mathematics and science. The final-year student is happy for the grant received which will assist with her tuition fee of $501,000. Relatives have helped over the years but this year, Guthrie also turned to the Rotary Club.

“This fund will assist me because it will indeed cover a part of my school fee. So, I am grateful,” stated Guthrie.

President of the Rotary Club of Negril, Owen James said the grant is not new and he encouraged those in need to apply.

James, who is the councillor caretaker for the Negril Division (Jamaica Labour Party), is also a senior accountant with Royalton Negril Resort and Spa in Hanover. He believes strongly in the importance of education.

While he did not name a major project that he will be taking on during his presidency, he did note that strengthening and continuing with existing programmes and projects are important to him.

“The programmes that the club has now are wonderful, we just need to highlight them some more. That is one of the things that will be doing. That is one of the things I want to do,” he told Observer West.