FOR Jamaican American business consultant Oneil Williams, keeping the legacy of his late sister Dr Jacqueline Satchell alive means giving a helping hand to the next generation of the island’s tertiary-bound students.

Williams, who is based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, founded the Jacqueline R Satchell Foundation two years ago to memorialise the late Yale university-trained doctor, medical professor and past director of the West Haven VA Women Veteran’s Clinic, who transitioned in October 2020 following post-surgery complications. The foundation offers an annual scholarship to secondary-leaving students in financial need who are pursuing studies at a college, university, or vocational programme, with the winner selected based on the merits of a 750-word essay submission.

Speaking from Fort Lauderdale, Williams disclosed that the topic for this year’s scholarship contest is ‘The Sky’s The Limit!’. He said interested scholarship entrants are “asked to craft an essay that elaborates on the title. The first-place winner of this contest will receive $75,000 which can be used to pay for partial tuition, supplies, or expenses that further their tertiary education.”

Recalling his departed sibling’s life and career trajectory, Williams shared that the Jamaican-born Satchell attended Meadowbrook High School and immigrated to the United States with her mother and siblings when she was 17 years old.

“When she arrived in the States, she attended Hillhouse High School in New Haven. From there, she went on to the University of Connecticut, followed by Temple University, where she earned her Doctor of Medicine degree and finally to Yale University’s Primary Care Internal Medicine Residency Program, which she completed in 1998,” he explained.

“Jackie relished her time in primary and secondary school growing up in Jamaica. She was always a bookworm and knew from a very early age that she wanted to become a doctor. The discipline and pursuit of excellence that were instilled in her during these pivotal years served her well during her collegiate years and beyond,” her brother reminisced of his beloved sister who died at 51 years old.

Subsequent to her passing, the VA Women Veteran’s Centre in West Haven, Connecticut, was dedicated in Dr Satchell’s name in November 2021.

Paying it forward to those on their own educational path, Williams rationalised: “I established the foundation to ensure that Jackie’s incredible legacy lives on. I want our youth to know that you can come from humble beginnings as a child with a hope and a dream and end up as a world-class physician and educator at an Ivy League institution. As this year’s essay title rightfully declares, the sky’s the limit.”

Former Knox College student Eliaejah Harris, currently in her second year at The University of the West Indies’ School of Medicine, was the winner of the inaugural JRS scholarship in 2022.

Shanika Nash, who attended Excelsior High School, was awarded last year’s scholarship.

Williams looked back with fondness on the memories he has of his sister.

“I miss her warmth and laughter. I consider myself the luckiest brother in the world to have had a sister like her,” he reflected. “I was fortunate enough to meet one of her patients recently and he offered his condolences and said he was heartbroken to hear of her passing. However, he recalled that he never left her office without laughing uncontrollably. I smiled broadly because I knew exactly what he meant.”

Interested high school students who have been accepted into a tertiary institution can find additional details and apply for the JRS scholarship by visiting https://jrs.foundation.