AS a single mother working tirelessly to provide for her two daughters, Tomayo Thompson’s days are often spent at a stall in the bustling Coronation Market in downtown Kingston.

Despite the long hours and the daily hustle of market life, the St Ann native never lost sight of her dream of ensuring her daughters have opportunities she never had. Every sacrifice she makes is driven by her determination to see them excel in school and have a brighter future.

Recently, her perseverance paid off when her older daughter, 12-year-old Samoya Williams, emerged the JN Scholar for St Ann.

For Thompson, the news was a moment of overwhelming relief and joy. Knowing that the JN Foundation will cover some of the expenses of Samoya’s education over the next five years is great relief for her.

“I think it will be a great impact especially with the books and school fee,” said Thompson, her voice filled with gratitude.

Samoya, a past student of Murray Mountain Primary and Infant School in St Ann, distinguished herself as a top achiever during her primary school years culminating in her outstanding performance in the Primary Exit Profile (PEP).

With the support of her teacher, she participated in extra lessons before and after school and even during holiday breaks, in addition to online extra classes led by the school’s principal. Her hard work paid off when she secured a place at her first choice school, Knox College, where she now boards.

At her recent graduation, she received multiple awards, including Top Girl. She also served as deputy head girl, captained her school’s quiz team, and represented her school in the annual Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) competition, where her dance group placed third in 2025.

Thompson recalled the moment vividly being at the market when she got a call instructing her to check her e-mail which contained the scholarship announcement.

“When I saw the message, I called my mother. I was overjoyed,” she shared, while recalling a similar moment of excitement at Samoya’s graduation when she screamed so much, she lost her voice.

Samoya shared that mathematics has always been her strongest subject, and that she was placed first in the PEP exams for the subject at her former school. She was also a finalist in the Jamaican Mathematical Olympiad and Kangaroo Math Jamaica Competitions.

“Math is easy for me. I don’t find myself having challenges with it,” she said pointing out that it remains her favourite subject.

Adjusting to life at Knox College as a boarder took some time, she admitted.

“The first week was okay but on the second week, I did miss my family, so I wanted to go home,” said Samoya, who has now adjusted and is enjoying the experience.

She also takes comfort in the fact that her stepsister, who is also in grade seven, lives in the dorm with her.

With dreams of becoming a soldier, Samoya is determined to make the most of her high school years. Outside of academics, she plans to join the 4-H Club and the Cadet Corps, and she is also eager to start playing volleyball.

Samoya pointed out that her success is rooted in the philosophy, ‘If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail,’ which motivates her to stay focused and do her best.

A total of 37 students were awarded five-year scholarships by the JN Foundation. Fourteen recipients are parish scholars; three, JN Bank Easi-Save County scholars, and 20 are children of JN Group employees who gained the Building Excellence and Achieving More Success (BEAMS) scholarship for attaining a placement score of at least 320. An additional 10 students were presented with grants by JN Money Services.

Since the inception of the JN Scholarship Programme in 1983, close to 1,000 students have benefited from financial assistance to pursue their secondary education.