ST ANN, Jamaica – Dr Tashagay Campbell, who hails from Grant’s Mountain, a deep rural community in St Ann, sums up her journey to becoming a medical doctor as “a poor girl with determination and faith”.
The daughter of two small-scale farmers, she had a fierce drive to lift herself out of poverty.

“They sacrificed a lot for me. They did all that was humanly possible, and for that I am eternally grateful. They struggled to send me through high school,” she recalled, adding that there were many days when she did not have money to go to school.

Campbell, who shared her testimonial at a recent I Believe Initiative (IBI) ambassador induction ceremony, held at King’s House, recounted that as she approached the end of her high-school years at St Hilda’s Diocesan High School, she began to worry.

“I wanted to go so much further but I was scared. I was fearful that my potential might be silenced by poverty,” she said.

Her mother reached out to several organisations and individuals seeking assistance to finance her tertiary education, but her efforts were met with disappointment.

“She decided to reach out to our Governor-General, and with the help of my uncle, we wrote a letter to His Excellency asking for help and he responded favourably,” Campbell shared.

In January 2015, Former Governor General’s Programme for Excellence (GGPE) National Coordinator, retired Major Effiom B Whyte, and a team surprised the student at home with a laptop and other educational supplies.

Her family was relieved. Finally, help had come their way.

In November of that year, she became a GGPE IBI Ambassador.

Among the projects she has coordinated is ‘I Believe in You’, which offers motivational sessions to students at Herbert Morrison Technical High School, where she was a sixth-form student.

Campbell also spearheaded the launch of the Grant’s Mountain Development Association to foster community development and construct a community centre.

In addition, she tutored students who were preparing for the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) and Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.

“I started medical school in September 2017. The journey was not an easy one. It was very challenging, and another challenge that arose was a financial one, but throughout the five years I managed to get help. Major Effiom Whyte, my JN (Jamaica National) family and different scholarships, particularly that of the St. Ann Justices of the Peace,” she detailed.

Since completing medical school with honours, Campbell hosted a health fair in her community where she offered back-to-school medicals for students at the infant and primary level.

“I’ve come to realise that one of the greatest and most fulfilling feelings doesn’t come from what you receive or what you achieve. It’s really when you are able to serve when you’re able to help others,” she shared.

Campbell pointed out that the GGPE has had a transformative impact on her life.

“It is really an honour and pleasure to be a part of this I Believe family, to be able to be a part of something where I can effect change in the community and Jamaica at large,” she said.
– JIS