MONTEGO BAY, St James — Cheryl Thompson-Tingling is not the typical scholarship recipient. But the 43-year-old street vendor and mother of three girls is among 150 individuals who have received grants from the proceeds of MBJ Airport Limited’s Team Sangster Charity Run/Walk. It will help pay for the course in guidance counselling she is doing at Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College.

“I sell panties and other type of underwear and sweeties on the road on Church Street [in Montego Bay],” Thompson-Tingling told the Jamaica Observer Tuesday after the awards ceremony.

She explained why she has set her sights on a career in the classroom.

“I have a passion for children. I want to give back to society and I want to help young minds because there is so much crime and violence going on. I want to help mould young minds for society and give back to my country,” she revealed.

With her local political representative, Councillor Joshua Cummings (Jamaica Labour Party, Montego Bay Central Division) encouraging her to improve her educational level, she began working towards her dream two years ago.

On her first try Thompson-Tingling passed mathematics at the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) level. She kept going.

“I did four [subjects] first and then I did two. I have human and social biology, information technology, POB [principles of business], social studies, and English, along with the maths,” she said.

She initially thought of applying to HEART/NSTA Trust to gain technical skills. But, again, with Cummings’ encouragement, she decided to study counselling. It took her a while to build up the courage to apply to teachers’ college.

“I didn’t sign up until the 29th of August. I went up there and I was saying, ‘God, I don’t have the money, but I know that you will provide.’ I went up there not knowing how I’m going to go or how I’m going to pay my tuition fee, but I still take the challenge, a leap of faith,” said Thompson-Tingling.

She has had to juggle studying with earning a living.

“I go to school part-time in the evening and I’ll sit there on the road and do my homework in the days; that’s how I do it. Persons would pass and ask, ‘Oh, you going to school?’ And I say, ‘Yes.’ They don’t understand, but it is for a reason,” said the determined Norwood resident.

She has had her fair share of challenges with studying.

“I don’t have a laptop so it’s very rough. I’m hoping to get one, but I don’t know how I am going to get it because vending is really hard. But by God’s grace, and I pray all the time, I know God will come through for me,” she said.

Originally from St Elizabeth, Thompson-Tingling moved to St James several years ago, eager for a change and a better life. She did not have a strong academic foundation.

“I never go to school as most persons are now doing — sometimes two days a week or sometimes for a week I didn’t go at all. I stopped going to school when I entered grade nine. However, I still have this big dream,” she said.

Then she became a teen mom.

“I got pregnant when I was 18 and then at 25, but I still had a dream of higher education,” Thompson-Tingling stated.

Her third child came later.

She hopes that by sharing her story she will inspire others who are hesitant to take that first step towards achieving their goal.

“There’s light at the end of the tunnel, so don’t ever limit yourself to say you can’t. You can do it, we all can do it,” she urged.

Thompson-Tingling is grateful for the support she has received from the MBJ charity, confident that it will be a huge help as she starts a new chapter in her life.

“I feel elated, I feel excited that I could write my story and my story helped me to get a scholarship,” she said.

The entire $22 million raised from the September 8 event went into scholarships. Along with Thompson-Tingling, 89 other tertiary students were awarded $180,000 towards their studies. There were 14 primary school students who got $40,000 each, 28 secondary school students each received $60,000, and $80,000 scholarships were provided to 15 sixth form students. This was the fourth year the event was being staged.

Thompson-Tingling is already looking ahead to when she is a qualified guidance counsellor with a job that can help her better care for her family. She wants her children to have opportunities she never had.

“My two big girls are through school and I want them to go to college. But I want to go through the hardship first and then help them to go school,” she said.