‘Trelawny champion’ Demonia Chung did it for her mom
NCB scholarship eases financial burden on family
IT was relief and excitement for Demonia Chung when she heard that she had been selected as one of the 193 NCB Foundation 2025/26 scholarship and grant recipients.
To make it even more special for Chung, she was one of 15 outstanding recipients among this year’s awardees.
Chung, a computer science major, told the Jamaica Observer that the financial assistance from NCB will allow her freedom to focus on her studies, spanning the 2025-2029 academic school terms, after obtaining the Digital Scholar Award for her academic labour.
“I’m the first of three children. My dad passed away at an early age and I have looked to my mother and stepfather as role models. I attended St Hilda’s Diocesan High for Girls and that’s where I found my passion for information technology, completing it in both CSEC (Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate) and CAPE (Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination).
“It was through my grandmother that I actually heard of the scholarship. She said, ‘Make sure you reach out.’ I did, and here I am,” said Chung.
She told the Observer that her mother was the sole breadwinner of the family, and she lost her job during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“So the financial strain went to my stepfather, who isn’t always at home to deal with everyday tasks like my mom. I was at home worrying about how I will pay my tuition, resources weren’t as readily available for me, seeing that I have two younger brothers that need attention. That’s why I’m so thankful to the NCB Foundation for making it happen,” added Chung.
She pointed out that she is the first in her family to matriculate to university, bridging the gap and leading the way for her younger siblings toward a brighter future.
“It [the NCB scholarship] is really a gift and I am so grateful for it. It means that there is hope for my younger brothers and cousins coming up. There are avenues for their dreams to come alive. My little cousin wishes to go to St Hilda’s as well, and I said, ‘Put in the work, read a lot, and you will achieve it’,” said Chung, who is set to start reading for an undergraduate degree in computer science at the University of Technology, Jamaica in a matter of days.
