Renaldo Messam’s nursing dream gets benefit boost

WESTERN BUREAU:

Unlike many 21-year-olds, Renaldo Messam is forging a path not often taken by Jamaican men.

Thanks to the scholarship support he has received from the Howard Ward Benefit Foundation, he is now in his final year of study at the University of Technology, where he is training to become a nurse.

Messam, a resident of Granville, Trelawny, said his decision to pursue nursing stemmed from witnessing the lack of empathy in the local healthcare system.

“From a young age, I have always been passionate about caring for people who are ill. I often noticed, especially in hospital settings, that patients were not always treated with the care and compassion they truly deserved. This inspired me to want to make a difference,” said Messam.

“So I want to make a difference in that regard. I want to treat patients with compassion, and I understand their needs and things like that,” Messam, a past-student of Muschett High School, also in Trelawny, told The Gleaner after recently receiving his scholarship award from Dr Alpha Obika, director and chairman of the Howard Ward Benefit Foundation Scholarship Committee.

The scholarship was made possible through philanthropist Howard Ward, whose foundation supports students in education, sports, and community development. The initiative targets those who demonstrate academic promise, have financial need, but have a commitment to excel in life.

Since its inception, the foundation has helped nearly 90 students to bridge the financial gap and complete their studies across various disciplines. For Messam, his scholarship came at a crucial point on his academic journey.

“This scholarship really means a lot in relation to the tuition, Nursing is a very expensive programme,” he said, noting that the financial relief will allow him to finish his degree without being burdened by financial issues.

With just one semester remaining, Messam is focused on completing his final examinations before commencing preparation for the Registered Nurse licensure.

“In my final year, I’m just trying to work seriously in achieving my goal of passing the Regional Examination for Nurse Registration (RENR) to be the nurse that I dreamed to become,” he explained, adding that his aspirations extend beyond general nursing.

ASPIRATIONS

“Definitely, I see myself in the future as a nurse anaesthetist or a clinical nurse specialist, or nurse practitioner, because my goal was always to become a doctor,” he said.

Messam is one of 48 students benefiting from the foundation’s $10-million investment in education this year. The beneficiaries include 24 new tertiary students, 13 returning tertiary students, and 11 returning high school students.

“What makes this achievement even more significant is that the scholarships for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 academic years were made possible through the proceeds of the MoBay Night Run, our signature fundraiser,” said Howard Ward, chairman of the foundation. “This event [MoBay Night Run] has not only brought the community together in a spirit of health, unity, and purpose but has also directly transformed the lives of students across high schools and tertiary institutions.”

Over the past three academic years, beginning in 2023-24, the foundation has awarded a total of 88 scholarships, an investment of more than $22 million.

“These scholarships are for the life of the student’s academic journey, once they maintain a ‘B’ average. In the past two cycles we have focused our resources on students in St James and Trelawny. However, we have cast the net a little wider this year, embracing well-deserving students from the parish of Westmoreland,” said Obika.

Tertiary beneficiaries attending institutions such as The University of the West Indies, University of Technology, Caribbean Maritime University, Anhui Medical University in China, Universidad de Ciencias Medicas de la Habana in Cuba, Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College, and Montego Bay Community College have received scholarships valued at up to $300,000.

Meanwhile, students attending Mt Alvernia High, Montego Bay High, Cornwall College, Herbert Morrison Technical High, Ruseas High, and William Knibb Memorial High Schools have each received $50,000.

albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com