Tryall Fund impacting the lives of scholarship recipients

Twenty-year-old Kayla Green is grateful to have been able to secure financial support from the Tryall Fund for seven straight years to pursue higher education.

“The scholarship has had a major impact on my life. It has lessened the burden on my parents, who have had to educate all six of us. Having been a recipient, it has allowed me to achieve higher education and participate in multiple curricular activities,” the Mount Alvernia High School graduate shared.

Kayla, who is now a third-year student at the University of the West Indies pursuing a Doctor of Pharmacy programme, said that she has been benefiting from the scholarship funds since she was in grade nine while attending Mount Alvernia High School in St James.

“Each year, I ensure I maintain a 3.0 GPA. You need the scholarship, so you work hard for it. It is not easy to find the tuition each year to pursue the programme I am studying,” she explained, noting that Tryall Fund has been consistent and reliable over the years.

Green is convinced that education will assist her in pulling herself out of poverty. “Poverty might appear to be a limitation, but for us, it is not a limitation. My father made sacrifices because he believes that by being educated, our future will be successful and will allow us to function and positively impact society,” she said.

RIPPLE OF CHANGE

Alice Needle, past president and co-chair of the scholarship committee at Tryall Fund, says the scholarship initiative was developed to help students attending school in Jamaica realise their potential and positively impact their communities.

She said the scholarship fund began with just 17 students in 2010 and has since awarded 1,979 students bursaries valued at over US$2.1 million. Currently, the fund grants between 250 to 275 awards on an annual basis. Needle says the aim is to award US$320,000 in scholarships in 2024.

Recently, the Fund held its annual Taste of Tryall fundraising event to record attendance. “We are so very appreciative of our generous donors and incredible sponsors whose support allow us to fund this year’s scholarship class. Monies raised at this event are critical to continuing the Fund’s programmes and increasing our impact. We are so very grateful,” said Cristina Costantini, Tryall Fund president.

“We believe that our scholarship recipients will be instrumental in moving the country forward because you cannot go wrong with an educated workforce. The Tryall Fund believes in investing in education, and our scholarship students, in turn, return the investment in their communities. Each of the award recipients is committed to becoming a ripple of change by helping others.” said Needle.

OTHER EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES

Applicants are evaluated by a panel based on academic achievements, activities, and community involvement. Each student has a Tryall employee as a sponsor throughout the entire process.

“We are proud to support a diverse group of students, from 12 to 57 years old, attending 40 different institutions across Jamaica, from high school to graduate programmes,” she said.

Needle emphasised that the Fund also had other educational initiatives, such as the Success by Six initiative, an educational, literacy, health, and nutrition programme developed by the Tryall Fund and implemented in eight basic schools in Hanover.

“We believe in educating the whole child, which means every child is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. We focus on the intellectual, emotional, social, and physical development of each student,” said Needle.

The fund also supports a clinic in Sandy Bay, Hanover, which offers family planning education, prenatal care, child-wellness care, and wound care. It is the only evening clinic in all of Hanover.

The Tryall Fund was formed in the early 1960s as a vehicle through which members and friends of the Tryall Club could contribute to community health, education, and welfare activities in Jamaica. The Fund is supported through generous donors and sponsors who are committed to making an impact on the lives of others.