WITH more than $106 million already channelled into scholarships since 2001, Burger King added a further $11 million to its tally at its 25th anniversary awards ceremony, reaffirming what Head of Sales and Marketing Nadia Kiffin Green called “an investment in Jamaica’s growth, communities, and future leaders”.

This year, 33 students received scholarships and bursaries under the theme ‘Blazing a Trail to Success’, with awards spanning Primary Exit Profile (PEP) pupils, secondary schoolers, and tertiary-level students.

The awards include the prestigious Lois Sherwood and Rodwell Lake scholarships, each valued at $1.5 million, as well as grants for students set to attend Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, and bursaries for those in financial need, alongside other scholarship awards and grants.

“For us at Burger King, we are celebrating more than an anniversary. We are proudly reflecting on how a single act of support, as demonstrated by our late founders Lois Lake Sherwood and Rodwell Lake, can grow into a lasting investment in our nation’s future. Today, we can proudly say that Burger King has invested over $100 million in scholarships and bursaries, making this one of the longest-standing corporate scholarship programmes in Jamaica,” Kiffin Green told the audience during Monday’s awards ceremony at Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in St Andrew.

She added that while Burger King is proud of its 25-year milestone, the real measure of success lies in the achievements of the students themselves.

“Education is not only about personal achievement, it is about using knowledge to uplift others and build a better society. We encourage you to dream boldly, work diligently, and remember to give back to the communities that have supported you,” she told the scholarship recipients.

The impact of the programme was brought to life by Ryan Jones, the very first recipient of a Burger King scholarship in 2001, who returned this year to share the impact of the bursary on his life.

Now an accountant at Petrojam Limited, Jones reflected on the difference the award made to his family, then living in Whitfield Town.

“I am proud to say that I am an example of the transformational impact of this scholarship programme. I was the recipient of the scholarship but it was our entire family that won. And that is the true impact of the Burger King Scholarship Programme — it’s not just money being handed to you, it’s hope,” he said.

Jones urged the 2025 awardees to seize the opportunity fully, reminding them that discipline and perseverance are key to long-term success.

“My encouragement to you young scholars today is to grasp this opportunity with both hands. There is a bold new world in front of you with potentially great things waiting for you. Don’t ease up now; remain disciplined as you go and understand that you are not alone on your journey,” he added.

Jones recalled the moment his family first learnt he had been awarded the scholarship, describing it as a turning point that lifted a burden from his parents’ shoulders.

“I distinctly remember getting the call many years ago, and even the person who called me and informed us that we had won the scholarship. I remember the look on my father’s face and immediately saw a weight lifted from his shoulders,” he said.

He spoke candidly about growing up in a two-room apartment in Whitfield Town, where his family shared kitchen and bathroom facilities with another household. But despite financial struggles, education was a hard and fast.

“School for us was non-negotiable. Rain or shine, sickness or health, we had to go to school. I can remember my mother saying to me, ‘Go to school, and if you’re sick enough they will send you home,’ ” Jones said.

Since its inception the Burger King National Scholarship Programme has expanded from a small initiative targeting Grade Six Achievement Test students into one of Jamaica’s most enduring, corporate-backed educational efforts. Today, it covers multiple tiers — primary, secondary, tertiary, and the arts while also extending to children of employees through staff scholarships.

Shantalee Wilson (left), the female recipient of Burger King’s Open Tertiary award, receives her trophy and bag from Burger King’s head of Sales and Marketing Nadia Kiffin Green during Burger King’s Scholarship Programme Awards Ceremony at Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in St Andrew on Monday.

Lois Sherwood Tertiary Scholarship awardee Abrianna Brown (left) receives her award from CEO of the Lake Group Lisa Lake during Burger King’s Scholarship Programme Awards Ceremony at Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in St Andrew on Monday.