At 13, Latoya Shea had no home.

Today, the New York-based US Army veteran and nurse anaesthetist is pursuing a vision she believes was given to her by God:  building a 100-acre Christian educational campus in St Elizabeth that would provide free education, housing and opportunity for Jamaica’s most vulnerable children.

The ambitious project, Let There Be Light Christian Residential Academy (LTBL), aims to become far more than a traditional school.

The Wolmer’s High School for Girls alum envisions a Christ-centred educational ecosystem serving children from Pre-K through Grade 12, combining Jamaica’s academic curriculum with international best practices while preparing students for careers in robotics, health sciences, agriculture and digital media.

“Our curriculum will be a hybrid of Jamaica’s strong academic standards paired with international best practices, so every graduate is prepared to compete globally,” Shea said.

The academy would operate through three distinct pathways.

A residential restoration programme would provide completely free education, accommodation and care for orphaned, homeless and other vulnerable children through graduation. A boarding programme would accommodate students from across Jamaica and overseas, while a traditional day-school option would serve children from surrounding communities.

For Shea, the mission is deeply personal.

After experiencing homelessness as a teenager, she says she discovered a relationship with God that transformed the trajectory of her life.

“I finally accepted my calling as God’s vessel to do good and guide many back to Him as a spiritual life coach,” she said.

She believes the foundation for LTBL was laid during a spiritual experience in 2020.

“The Lord first told me He was going to use me to show His people His love, and He has been confirming it ever since,” she said. “After our back-to-school drive at Emancipation Park, I heard Him say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. From now on, everything you do should be called Let There Be Light.'”

That conviction eventually evolved into a broader vision for education.

According to Shea, the project will integrate faith, academics and practical life skills while equipping students for an increasingly technology-driven world.

The proposed campus would include not only classrooms but also agricultural facilities, health services and residential accommodation designed to nurture children’s spiritual, academic and emotional development.

“God has given me each piece—the residential care, agriculture, education, the medical centre—one by one,” she said.Central to the vision is the acquisition of approximately 100 acres of land in St Elizabeth, Jamaica’s agricultural heartland.

Shea said that inspiration also came through prayer.

After hearing a preacher encourage viewers to acquire land, she initially began searching for property in New York before believing God redirected her focus to Jamaica.

“I thought He was saying 20 acres,” she recalled. “Then I turned on the television and heard the same speaker say, ‘God said you should get a big piece of land—50 acres or more.’ From there, it became 50 to 100 acres.”

She believes the academy could become a catalyst for economic transformation in St Elizabeth by combining agricultural training with engineering, technology, finance and health sciences.

“I once thought agriculture simply meant farming,” she said. “But it’s so much more. A farmer benefits from understanding finance, engineering and technology. That’s why LTBL’s one-device-per-child model is so important.”

She argues that such an approach could help restore Jamaica’s competitiveness in global agricultural exports while creating new opportunities for young people.

The proposal also comes as St Elizabeth continues rebuilding following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa.
“This is the right moment to help level the playing field between Jamaica and the rest of the world and remind everyone what Jamaicans have always known—we likkle, but we talawah,” she said.

While the academy remains in its planning stages, Shea said discussions with government agencies have provided valuable guidance as the project moves forward.

She confirmed that she has held what she described as a productive introductory meeting with representatives from the Office of the Prime Minister, as well as discussions with senior officials from the Ministry of Education, the National Education Trust and the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA).

She said her team is also preparing meetings with the National Land Agency, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, and the National Environment and Planning Agency as it searches for a suitable property.

Meanwhile, Shea says she has assembled an international team of supporters committed to turning the vision into reality.

“We have a dedicated board of directors and advisers I believe God brought together for this work,” she said. “Many are based in the United States, alongside grantors and donors who share this vision. We are now building our Jamaica-based operational leadership and staff to carry this mission forward on the ground.”

For Shea, LTBL represents more than the construction of a school.

She sees it as an investment in Jamaica’s future—one designed to transform lives through Jesus Christ, education and opportunity, beginning with children who need it most.