‘Hard work truly pays off’

One recipient stood out with admirable strength and a big heart of gratitude at this year’s American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ) Grants Ceremony.

Held on Tuesday at The United States Embassy in St Andrew, 54 grants were awarded to a wide range of impactful initiatives.

A grateful Jade Thomas shone bright, open about her journey as a first-year law student at The University of the West Indies (UWI) – from facing financial uncertainty to being awarded the prestigious, life-changing Klotz Family Scholarship by AFJ.

Worrying about the financial burden of tertiary education, Thomas decided to take a gap year, both to gain work experience and help ease her family’s financial strain. During her break she interned at Brown and Shaw Attorneys-at-Law, an all-female law firm that inspired her pursuit of a career in law, specialising in data protection.

“They really nurtured me, showed me the ropes, and exposed me to courtroom settings,” she recalled.

“And I really said that this is something that I would like to pursue, because I would like to emanate what they are now, and even take it to the next level.”

Thomas recounted immediately falling in love with the idea of combining law with technology, even though she didn’t see herself as a tech-centred person.

HEFTY TUITION COSTS

Despite the limitations a teacher’s salary afforded, Thomas credits her mother for providing strength and endless support, even after her father passed away.

“While her strength and sacrifice have been unwavering, I knew my pursuit in the field of law would become a significant burden for our family,” Thomas shared.

“This scholarship serves as more than just a financial aid. It is motivation, encouragement, and a reminder that hard work truly pays off.”

She often worried about the additional cost after their combined efforts and student loans. Accepting that there were limited scholarship opportunities for law students, when the Klotz Family Scholarship came along, Thomas applied cautiously, aware of the competitiveness.

“I was pleasantly surprised to be shortlisted,” she said. “Knowing how disheartening the process can be … I kept my expectations low to guard against disappointment.”

After a nerve-wracking interview with members of the AFJ, The UWI Office of Student Finance, and representatives of the Klotz family, Jade walked away unsure.

Today as she looks back and laughs, Thomas said the entire process was thought-provoking as it made her think deeply about her values and vision for the future.

Yearly tuition is US$10,000 to study law at UWI, and even after subsidies and student loans, a hefty bill remains.

Thomas said she is forever grateful to AFJ and the Klotz Family for helping her to defeat this burden.

“This scholarship really acted as something to fall back on … so I wouldn’t be stressing about finances plus school. I wouldn’t be stressing about if I wouldn’t be able to enter into the examination, because you know that you can’t do exams if you have no clearance.”

As her future awaits, Thomas is determined to use her scholarship to complete her LLB degree at UWI, then pursue further studies at Norman Manley Law School.

AFJ TRANSFORMS EDUCATION

Delivering the keynote address at the grant awards ceremony on Tuesday, Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon, Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, lauded the AFJ for raising over US$20 million since its inception, with the funds making a huge difference in lives of countless Jamaicans.

“We are committed to accelerating transformation, but we know we can’t do it alone,” Minister Dixon said.

“We need partners like the AFJ who understand that sustainable development in education is built on trust, collaboration, and long-term investment.”

Dr Dixon also noted that AFJ’s goals are in alignment with the ministry’s focus on literacy and numeracy, special education, nutrition, and early childhood education.

She emphasised the importance of giving all students access to quality education and the efforts being made to intervene in underperforming schools.

Sharing a story about students at Denbigh High School in Clarendon, the education minister noted that she was happy to see that they were already using artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance their studies, an indication that the ministry’s flagship programme, RAISE, has been effective so far. The initiative aims to equip educators with STEAM-infused methodologies to improve student outcomes, particularly in mathematics.

Executive director of AFJ, Caron Chung, echoed the minister’s sentiments on collaboration.

“Partnership and collaboration are at the core of what we do,” she said.

“It really represents the long-standing support and relationships we’ve had with the US over the years in Jamaica. They have stood with us throughout the years … in local government, the Ministry of Education, healthcare – the support we get from them in our execution work is very important.”

The process of selecting grantees, Chung noted, is a rigorous one which isn’t short of trust and transparency.

Chung also encouraged grantees to keep the organisation relevant by sharing their success stories.

“That is how we will keep the engagement going with our donors in the US, who like to see how the dollars are being put to work and how the impact continues to transform and change communities in Jamaica,” she said.

The AFJ’s next grant cycle will begin in November 2025, and Chung is encouraging prospective applicants to prepare thoroughly and consult the organisation’s criteria online at theafj.org.

mickalia.kington@gleanerjm.com