REGIONAL marketing communications firm Infinity Integrated Marketing Communications and Events Limited (Infinity IMC) has reaffirmed its commitment to nurturing future communications professionals by rewarding yet another top-performing master’s student.

The awardee, Barbadian national Shamkoe Pilé, topped her masters cohort at the Caribbean School of Media and Communication (CARIMAC) and received the recent award during a ceremony held at The University of the West Indies, Mona. Pilé, who studied communication for social and behavioural change, is the second CARIMAC graduate to benefit from Infinity IMC’s grant award.

The student, who leads an Information Unit within the Ministry of Transport and Works in Barbados, lauds Infinity IMC as being a leader within the communication sector.

“Investing in the education of students passionate about communication and behaviour change contributes to the overall development of the field,” said Pilé. “By supporting CARIMAC, Infinity IMC strengthens the industry locally in Jamaica and regionally as well. This demonstrates the company is a leader, contributing to positive growth by opening doors for others.“

Expressing gratitude for the opportunities provided by the grant, Pilé emphasises the need for more initiatives like these.

“Grants, scholarships, and even internship opportunities often help students make the next big step in their lives. Lack of financial support hinders many talented and smart people from advancing. The possibilities for students are widened when they can rest assured that the burden of tuition costs is covered. This, in and of itself, contributes to positive change,” she said.

Pile’s award also coincided with the company’s fifth anniversary celebrations.

The grant programme, a component of Infinity IMC’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, serves to inspire and empower young communicators to pursue their dreams in the ever-evolving fields of integrated marketing communications and social and behaviour change. The company extends this through educational presentations to university and high school students.

“By supporting CARIMAC and by extension, the Faculty of Humanities’ annual awards ceremony, we hope to remind current students and graduates that there are viable career opportunities where communications can be used for social impact. We encourage them to see Infinity as one such company using communication for good and essentially an employer of choice,” said company CEO Shanoy Harris-Coombs.

She indicated that initiatives such as the grant aligns with the company’s broader mission.

“At the heart of our mission is dedication to creating positive change. This extends beyond mentorship and grants, to actively supporting initiatives that make a meaningful impact. A recent testament to this is our team’s role in sponsoring a first-of-its-kind youth mental health conference in Jamaica. Being part of that impactful event was not only a pleasure but also aligns with our continuous pursuit of opportunities to give back to the community and make a lasting difference.”

For their part, CARIMAC director and a senior lecturer Dr Livingston White thanked Harris-Coombs for the contribution.

“This is a great example of graduates giving back. Shanoy is a graduate of The University of the West Indies, so we’re happy to see her as the CEO of Infinity IMC Limited sponsoring the award for the top performing graduate student. Thank you very much. We look forward to the continued sponsorship.”

Infinity IMC also intends to expand the grant programme to include more fulsome support to align with its overarching business model where purpose meets profits and contributes to the well-being of people and communities.