COJO scholarship a relief for top awardee

When it was announced on Monday that Aliea Pollock, an outgoing 20-year-old ward of the state, was the Children of Jamaica Outreach, Inc's (COJO) Suzette Henriques Memorial Scholarship Awardee for 2023, the young lady, who arrived at the awards ceremony late, was speechless.

Pollock arrived late for the annual COJO scholarship luncheon, which was held at the AC Hotel in St Andrew on Monday, because she was sitting an external examination at Jose Marti Technical High School earlier in the day.

After she heard her name being called for the US$5,000 valued scholarship to pursue a bachelor of science degree with a major in nursing from the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, the young lady beamed with a smile and went for her cheque, knowing that the gate for her to enter tertiary level education, has been opened with that cash advance.

"I am so excited! I am so happy! I am so grateful to the persons who donated for this scholarship to be given to me," Pollock told The Gleaner.

Although lucky to have been adopted by her aunt, Grace Stephenson, in 2018 and not placed in a children's home, the ward-of-the-State, told The Gleaner that life has not been easy for her.

Her past has a story she was not comfortable speaking about, but only disclosed that her aunt eventually adopted her and she moved from StMary to St Catherine, and in fifth form, she was transferred from Marymount High School to Jose Marti Technical High in March 2019; the middle of the academic year.

"I had already started SBAs (school-based assessment) and all those stuff, and when I had to transfer from St Mary to St Catherine, I had to do the whole process all over again. It was in the middle of the [academic] year, so I was trying to get back stuff that was done from the beginning of the term, so it was very challenging for me," Pollock, who currently serves as the Head Girl and a member of the Dean’s list for two years at Jose Marti Technical High School, said.

"It was not an easy road. It was not an easy journey, but I made it through high school. I am going to college knowing that I won't have to worry tuition. It's really a relief for me," she said.

Pollock achieved passes at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) in the subjects: English language, chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics, information technology, geography and agricultural science. At the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), she passed unit on in the subjects: chemistry, biology and communication studies.

DETERMINED TO BECOME A NURSE

She gives thanks to her aunt for applying for care and protection for her and fighting to have her in a safe space to focus and pursue her studies.

"My guardian has been very supportive so far. I could not ask for a better guardian," she said.

When graduating fifth form in 2021, Pollock was also selected as the valedictorian for the batch of graduants. Additionally, she was deemed competent in the National Council on Technical and Vocational Education Training (NCTVET) in the area of crop production.

Pollock said she is determined to become a nurse, because of treatment she received at a hospital when she was ill in the year 2018. That is another part of her past she did not want to disclose.

"I was in the hospital for a long period of time and the nurses there were so caring. They were so loving and they just inspired me, and from that moment, I fell in love with nursing and I decided that this is what I wanted to do. I want to help people," Pollock said.

She is determined to achieve anything she sets her mind to, and believes that she can do all things through Christ who strengthens her.

Other wards-of-the-state who were awarded each with US$3,500 scholarships were: Zarah Grey, Fantasia Lennon, Davisha Wilson, Shanika Ennis, Kevinna Melbourne, N'Zinga Gordon, Simoy Douglas and Camelia Miller.

Gary Williams, founder and chairman, COJO thanked donors, primarily from the Diaspora, for continuously donating and supporting the COJO initiative 29 years after he began it.

"As the old saying goes, 'It takes a village to raise a child', and COJO has been that village, with so many people being a part of that village... for 29 years. This African proverb covers the message that it takes many people; the village to provide a safe and healthy environment for children. To give them the security they need to develop and flourish to be able to realise their hopes and dreams. This has been the commitment of Children of Jamaica Outreach over the 29 years," Williams said.

He said awarding wards-of-the-State continues to be a passion of his and his organisation has also, over the years, raised funds to provide computers and supported infrastructural development in Jamaica.

"We're extremely proud of what we have been able to accomplish with scores of COJO scholars, having already graduated from universities and now contributing in a meaningful way in various disciplines, including: medicine, health care service, law education and in the public and private sectors," he said.

The Suzette Henriques Memorial Scholarship was named in honour of Williams' sister.

ainsworth.morris@gleanerjm.com