16 Jamaicans awarded Chevening Scholarships

Sixteen Jamaicans have been awarded the 2022 Chevening Scholarships to pursue master’s degrees in the United Kingdom.

The scholars were selected from an extremely strong shortlisted cohort of about 50, who were chosen from a wider candidate pool of more than 400.

Chevening is the UK government’s international awards programme aimed at developing global leaders. This year’s batch of scholars will increase the Jamaican alumni to more than 280 since 1984.

Meet this year’s scholars.

MALIKE KELLIER (Masters of Law in human rights law, University College London): Attorney-at-law called to the Bar in Jamaica and Barbados. He is currently employed as an assistant director of public prosecutions in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Jamaica. Kellier is the 2021 recipient of the Prime Minister’s National Youth Award for Excellence in the category of National Leadership and also a Governor General’s Achievement Awardee.

JANNEILLE MORGAN (MSc in health management, City, University of London): Healthcare administrator and communications specialist with the Tony Thwaites Wing at the University Hospital of the West Indies. She is responsible for the hospital’s marketing and business development portfolios, as well as curating the customer experience for patients and physicians.

JANOI REID (MSc in actuarial science with data analytics, University of Leicester): Risk officer with GraceKennedy Financial Group, where he manages the risk programme for GraceKennedy Money Services Group across the Caribbean.

DAMOY DOUGLAS (MSc in intelligence, security and disaster management, University of Derby): Holder of a first-class honours Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Technology, Jamaica. He is a detective corporal in the Jamaica Constabulary Force and a crime intelligence analyst in charge of Area One (Trelawny, St James, Hanover and Westmoreland).

VENICE IRVING (MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), University of Manchester): CEO of Happy Teachers Ja. She teaches TESOL and digital literacy to Jamaican teachers, while promoting online language tutoring. She aspires to promote TESOL as a useful method of language acquisition that will benefit Jamaican students and aid their mastery of the English language.

SHENELLE STEWART (MA in special and inclusive education, University College London): Youth advocate, mentor, education enthusiast and educator at a prominent secondary institution. In 2018, she was nominated and shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Youth Award and was the 2019 recipient of the SDC’s Youth in Service Award.

MIKHAIL HENRY (MSc in microbiology, University of Aberdeen): Monitoring, evaluation and learning specialist at Equality for All Foundation. He is a scientist and development project practitioner with increasing experience working with international NGOs and disadvantaged groups.

KRISTINA NEIL (MA in gender, sexuality and culture, University of Manchester): Policy and advocacy manager at WE-Change JA, a black feminist community organisation. She heads the organisation’s advocacy and research projects, focusing on reproductive justice, gender-based violence, and creating sustainable communities of care for structurally excluded people.

RHYNEE MCKAY-BENNETT (MA in special and inclusive education (specific learning difficulties), University College London): Principal of Kellits Primary School and was the 2018-2019 LASCO/MOEY Runner-Up Principal of the Year. McKay-Bennett is an advocate for literacy development, especially in children at the early- childhood and primary-school levels.

RICHARD ROBINSON (MSc in counterterrorism, Cranfield University): Detachment commander of the Caribbean Special Tactics Centre of the Caribbean Military Academy. He is a Distinguished Military Graduate of the US Officer Candidate School at the Manoeuvre Centre of Excellence in Fort Benning and the recipient of the Medal of Honour for General Service in 2018.

MATTHEW FERGUSON (MA in media, campaigning and social change, University of Westminster): Communications manager at Digicel Group. He has a passion for creating public education and communica-tions programmes that drive human development in technology and education.

AMANDA MCKENZIE (MSc in international agribusiness and food-chain management, Harper Adams University): Certified project management professional who leads the Project Management and Research Department at the Jamaica Business Development Corporation. She has developed and implemented major developmental projects in support of micro, small and medium enterprises.

NASTASSIA ROBINSON (MSc in psychology, Cardiff University): Human-rights advocate and attorney-at-law who represents vulnerable populations: the LGBT+ community, people living with HIV, people with disabilities, survivors of gender-based violence, children and incarcerated people who have mental-health issues. She holds a Bachelor of Science (honours) in international relations and an LLB from The University of the West Indies.

COLLEEN DAWKINS (MA in corporate communications, marketing and public relations, University of Leeds): Communications practitioner who has been instrumental in the creation and execution of many Jamaican Government-led public education campaigns and initiatives.

GABRIELLE THOMPSON-JACKSON (MA in producing, Met Film School): Production assistant at the Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica. She researches and repackages archival content for broadcast and contributes to the management of the PBCJ’s audiovisual library management system.

ZACHARY RAMSAY (MSc in applied statistical modelling and health informatics, King’s College London): Medical doctor and epidemiologist. He has worked on important clinical trials and research studies at the Sickle Cell Unit of The University of the West Indies, where he works and teaches as a research fellow.