THE University of Technology (UTech) Jamaica on Wednesday hosted Dr Trisha Bailey, arguably the richest woman to ever emerge from the island, to discuss possible funding support for its nursing programme and less fortunate students, including poor females experiencing period poverty.

A former athlete, Bailey, through her company Bailey’s Medical Equipment and Supplies, overcame poverty and abuse to become a billionaire and one of the richest black women in United States.

After landing in a helicopter on the football field at the front of the campus, Bailey and members of her team met with the executives of UTech as well as students during a tour of the institution.

“I came here to listen to what the needs of UTech are and to be able to hopefully give some guidance and financial support. I am excited about what I have heard about the direction the university is going. What we discussed was the nursing programme and providing some scholarships for some of the students, redeveloping some of the infrastructure so that they are able to have the resources they need.

“One project that we mentioned is near and dear to my heart. It has to do with children who are starving and I believe that the UTech president mentioned it to be period poverty, meaning some young ladies do not have the sanitary napkins they need during their time of the month. I have already committed to making sure that these students have what they need in order to succeed at the university and I will continue working and talking through the process for additional support,” Bailey told the media, pointing out that no final position has been arrived at, regarding the monetary value of her planned assistance to UTech.

She said she will continue to engage in discussions with the institution to come up with a figure that makes sense.

“I was in the position where I was one of the less fortunate ones and I was able to get help from others, from my mom taking me to the United States to build a better life, to the University of Connecticut giving me a scholarship, to my country supporting me the way that it does. Now I am in a position to give back and to pull my brothers and sisters from the island closer to where I am or above. My goal is to be able to inject so much love and positive energy, including my resources, into the people so that they are able to accomplish the things they are truly talented at and support the needs that they truly have,” Bailey said.

President of UTech Dr Kevin Brown described Dr Bailey’s visit to the campus as a momentous opportunity.

“Dr Bailey, who is a Jamaican residing in the United States, has accomplished a lot in terms of business and so, for us, we are taking this opportunity to introduce her to Jamaica’s national science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) university and explore how we can work together to enhance the university and also to deliver development and prosperity for Jamaica. The meeting started with discussions that were led by our pro-chancellor, Mr Aldrick McNab. Through his persuasion he was able to get Dr Bailey and her team to accept his invitation for us to have this conversation.

“What we are trying to do here at UTech is to deliver on our mission and vision. Our mandate is to produce Jamaica’s STEM workforce. We have been doing that for the last 66 years, but we also understand that with the rapid change in technology and global machinations, that the university also has to pivot and has to also improve on delivery to our students whether it is in our curriculum or our other provisions. We believe that through partnership we can achieve these goals,” Dr Brown explained.

He said also that the institution recognises that there is a strong synergy between the university and Dr Bailey in both her business interests and her philanthropic activities.

“Today was just about having that exploratory conversation with her to see how we can work together and we believe that from the conversation we had that there are certainly opportunities there to be pursued in the future. The real honour in having Dr Bailey here is that she is also an example of what our students can aspire to achieve, and we see her as someone who will motivate them to excel to greatness,” Brown added.

Dr Bailey told the Observer that she was last in Jamaica six months ago and said “it feels good every time” she steps on the island.

She explained what her company does and how she got around to starting a successful business. She also shared how she managed to overcome abuse.

Dr Bailey, who is from Woodlands in St Elizabeth, was just 13 years old when she left Jamaica for the United States with her mother. She is a proud author and shared that she is working on putting out a movie depicting her journey from poverty and abuse to success at a high level.