MONTEGO BAY, St James — Philanthropist Derrick Sudeall has not ruled out providing more scholarships for students at St James-based Herbert Morrison Technical High School, after his latest gift to students at the institution.

On Friday Sudeall handed over scholarships valued at $1 million to 25 students at the school who are focusing on programmes geared towards science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects.

“Yeah, possibly I’m willing to consider more scholarships in the future but it mainly would depend on how my finances work, that’s all,” Sudeall told the Jamaica Observer.

“I’m going to check on them once in a while to see how they are doing and, based on what I see, that could also influence my decision to again contribute to the school,” added Sudeall.

He told the Observer that he has donated to a variety of institutions over the years but was impressed with the STEM programme at Herbert Morrison, given that he was a mathematics teacher for more than three decades.

“I’ve given to other schools in St James but this is the first time at Herbert Morrison and first time towards STEM,” said Sudeall. The scholarships range from a low of $24,000 to a high of $250,000 for the students, and Sudeall underscored that they were financed by him, which is something he enjoys doing.

“I mean, I just like to give. I’m surprised at how many people have more means than I have that are not willing to give back,” said Sudeall, having already indicated that the scholarships were awarded to the students at the institution because he believes in the power of education especially in the area of STEM.

“These disciplines are the building blocks of innovation and progress. STEM education not only teaches critical skills but also teaches self-confidence and the ability to solve problems that can change the world,” declared Sudeall.

He urged the students to dream big, work hard, and never be afraid to challenge themselves given what lies ahead in terms of the particular field.

“The world is changing rapidly and the opportunities in STEM are endless. Your curiosity and determination will open doors that you never thought possible,” said Sudeall.

It was a similar message from Member of Parliament for St James West Central, Marlene Malahoo Forte. She urged the students to think outside the box in the STEM field.

“I hope that you are already thinking about all that you can do with an education in this area. The classic STEM careers are the doctors, the engineers, the scientists but I am inviting you to think bigger.

“We still need doctors, we still need engineers, in fact we need more engineers and more scientists, but I want you to think beyond the boundaries of the classroom and beyond the traditional career paths,” said Malahoo Forte as she urged the students to try and look at at how those traditional fields are evolving in today’s world and imagine creating a breakthrough.

“I want you to picture yourselves,.for example, designing a future of renewable energy that will combat climate change, coming from an island in the sun where there is a natural abundance of energy.

“I also invite you to think even further about careers that did not even exist decades ago. Think about the possibility of being a virtual reality developer, building experiences that change the way people learn and connect,” added Malahoo Forte.

The MP urged the students to make concrete contributions to the field that they have an interest in.

“As you continue your journey in STEM — the sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics — I urge you to think not only about what is but what can be. I want you to become the problem solvers, not only talking about what needs to be done, not just creating the idea about what needs to be done, but moving to implementing,” charged Malahoo Forte.

Herbert Morrison Technical High School has been working on the development of its STEM programmes over the years and has made good progress, including in the area of 3D printing.