ALTHOUGH Kasi Abbott, a first-form student of Knox College in Manchester, had known for weeks that she was one of 47 students to be awarded the JN Foundation Primary Exit Profile (PEP) Scholarship for 2022, she was as elated on Sunday as if she had only just received the news.

“I feel like my hard work in PEP paid off. All the studying and preparation that I did have been rewarded with this scholarship that I received,” said Kasi.

The 11-year-old was among the 47 accepting their awards at a celebratory ceremony on Sunday, organised by JN Foundation at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in St Andrew to recognise the achievement of the youngsters who came from across the country.

Held under the theme ‘Reignite the Greatness in You’, Claudine Allen, general manager of the JN Foundation, urged the pre-adolescents to strive for “greatness”.

“As you embark on your educational journey, which will also help to mould your character, I urge you — all 47 of you, our scholars — to believe in yourselves and your greatness and strive for excellence, just like Nelson Mandela did,” she charged.

Chairman of the JN Foundation Parris Lyew-Ayee, who also addressed the recipients, said that since 1983 the Jamaica National Group has been supporting the educational pursuits of hundreds of young people at both the secondary and tertiary levels.

“This year we received close to 400 applications for the Primary Exit Profile scholarships; unfortunately, we were unable to meet the needs of all the applicants. However, fortunately, this year we are introducing 10 one-time offer grants through JN Money Services Limited,” he revealed.

Lyew-Ayee underscored that an educated population is important to nation-building and economic growth and, therefore, investing in education should be priority.

Referencing the development of Japan after World War II and the emergence of Taiwan, he demonstrated how prioritising education can transform the fortunes of a nation.

“The Japanese people committed themselves to building a first class education system. The result was decades of impressive economic growth during which Japan became an economic powerhouse and the world’s third-largest economy,” informed Lyew-Ayee.

“We can become a great nation if we focus on building an educated population, and that is why the JN Foundation, in its own way, takes seriously its contribution to ensuring that our nation’s children are not denied an education,” Lyew-Ayee added.

The JN Foundation chairman disclosed that it will be recalibrating its scholarship programme to further strengthen its relationship with its scholars. This, he said, includes rolling out a mentorship programme to create a space where the scholars can interact with the JN Group’s senior leadership team.

“We encourage our scholars and parents to look out for this and other exciting initiatives and events that will be specifically catered with you in mind. Some of the other activities will include career development, networking among JN scholars as peers, and financial literacy sessions through our very-soon-to-be-launched JN Financial Academy,” he said.