THERE was excitement and joy on the faces of the students selected to be recipients of this year’s Barita Foundation scholarships during the awards ceremony last Wednesday.

At a ceremony hosted at the Caribbean Military Academy in St Andrew, the scholarship recipients were almost unanimous in describing the scholarships as life-changing catalysts.

This was especially true for Darielle Edwards, a student at The University of the West Indies, Mona (The UWI) who is reading for a bachelor’s degree in actuarial science.

Edwards told the Jamaica Observer that this opportunity was one that she cherished, especially because she discovered the scholarship through “sheer luck”.

She had persuaded her mother to open an investment account with Barita before finding out about the financial grant, which qualified her to participate in the foundation’s scholarship application process.

Edwards said she was highly grateful for the financial assistance as it would alleviate the hefty costs related to seeking higher education.

“This is important to me because as an actuarial science student, or as an aspiring actuary, you have external exams to do and they are not cheap.

“So this scholarship has given me some level of comfort because it covers my school fee, and I no longer have to worry about where that money will come from. So with that out of the way, I can now channel those funds, instead, towards paying for my external exams,” said Edwards.

She added that the Barita Foundation scholarship has placed her in a favourable position to reach the levels of her role models in the world of corporate finance.

“I want to work in the financial sector, I’m inspired by [the late Gordon] ‘Butch’ Stewart and Nigel Clarke and their work have really illustrated how I would like my life to go and how I would like to contribute to my country with my career,” said Edwards.

The foundation awarded scholarship to students at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels, with an emphasis on supporting those who are specialising in early childhood education.

In her address to the awards ceremony Minister of Education Dr Dana Morris Dixon lauded Barita for its role in providing help to those studying early childhood education as she argued that the development of the nation’s children from the first stage of the education process is most important.

“The reality is, if you don’t have the right foundation, there’s nothing that you’re going to be able to build on it. When you talk to those tertiary institutions, they tell you that the students don’t come prepared for tertiary studies.

“Then the high schools say the children don’t come from primary school prepared for high school. And then the primary schools say that they don’t come prepared from basic school. So obviously we’re going to have to start early. And that’s why early childhood is so important. And that’s why I respect Barita Foundation so much for focusing on that. They understand that we have to start at the base,” said Morris Dixon.

For Shevicia Whittacker Elridge, a third-year student at the Mico University College, who is on pace to gain a bachelor’s degree in primary education, her dedication does not only come from wanting to educate the nation’s children but also in honouring her late grandmother who was a stern believer in education being the key to social mobility.

“That dream is very important to me as it relates to my grandmother who is no longer here with me. She made it her point of duty for education to be at the forefront of our family.

“As the speakers mentioned today it’s very powerful to matriculate in society and it is a core fundamental start of success and I chose primary education because you get fresh young minds and you can help to nurture them,” said Whittacker Elridge.

Her eyes glossed with tears as she told the Sunday Observer that the grant has provided her with the opportunity to make her family proud.

“This scholarship is very important to me because I’m one step closer in breaking a generational curse, being one of the first members of my family to reach this far. So it’s a very important and personal journey for me.

“This scholarship has alleviated some financial constraints that we might face on the way and it allows me to focus more on being one step closer to success,” added Whittacker Elridge

The Barita Foundation Scholarship awards has sponsored more than 100 students through bursaries since its launch in 2022 and has invested $11.5 million to award this year’s cohort of 60 recipients.

University of the West Indies, Mona student Darielle Edwards discovered the opportunity to get a scholarship from Barita Foundation through sheer luck.