FROM sitting her first Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations at age nine to entering university with 33 subjects, Jamoya Seaton of Four Paths, Clarendon, emerged as one of the defining stories of The University of the West Indies (The UWI), Mona Campus’s 2026 Matriculation and Welcome Ceremony.

Seaton, who was named top matriculant for the Mona Campus, begins studies in medicine with 17 CSEC subjects and 16 (Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination) CAPE units already to her credit. Her academic journey is tied to a goal she set at age six — to become a neurologist.

Welcoming the new students, Professor Densil A Williams, pro-vice-chancellor and principal of the Mona Campus, told the cohort they were joining a global community of Pelicans committed to using their knowledge and skills to improve lives.

“So today, you join the pantheon of world citizens who call themselves Pelicans. The pelican, which symbolises the ‘light rising from the West’, represents the global movement of UWI graduates using their skills and capabilities developed in these hallowed walls of The UWI to change lives and to make the world a better place for all of us. We welcome you, and we will do all we can to facilitate your success,” said Williams.

He also highlighted the drive by the campus to widen access to higher education, including a goal to increase the number of scholarships from 3,000 to 10,000 over the next few years.

“The idea here is to make sure any student who qualifies for the Mona campus in the next three to five years can comfortably come to our campus without worrying about paying their tuition,” he said.

Seaton’s record gives the 2026 cohort a striking benchmark. At four, she was named Clarendon Reading Champion. At nine, she sat human and social biology and electronic document preparation and management at CSEC, earning grade ones with straight ‘A’ profiles in both subjects. By age 11 she had already attained five CSEC subjects.

Her progress accelerated through secondary school. By the end of grade 10 she had amassed 11 CSEC subjects and three CAPE units, allowing her to bypass grade 11 and advance directly to lower sixth form.

She later transferred to the Institute of Career Choice (ICC) as a full-time student and, by the time she matriculated to The UWI, had accumulated 33 subjects: 17 CSEC subjects and 16 CAPE units.

Her achievements extend beyond academics. At ICC Seaton served as both head girl and student council president, founded the school’s Public Speaking Club, earned a place on the honour roll, and was crowned Miss ICC 2024.

She also writes poetry, represented her school in shot-put at the Western Championships, and was part of a dance duo that won the school’s talent competition.

The Matriculation and Welcome Ceremony formally admitted the incoming students into The UWI community following an extensive orientation programme. Through the university’s First Year Experience programme new students have access to academic advice, peer mentorship, student engagement opportunities, and support services as they begin their studies.

For Seaton, matriculation turns a childhood ambition into a course of study. For Mona’s wider 2026 cohort it marks formal entry into a university community that now challenges them to build on their potential, contribute to the region, and carry forward the Pelican tradition.