Jamaica makes a splash on the international stage

Four Jamaican credit union professionals have won highly competitive international scholarships and will represent Jamaica and the cooperative sector on the regional and global stage this June and July.

Nicholas Campbell, client relations team lead at the Quality Network (a subsidiary of the Jamaica Co-operative Credit Union League) and a NeXGen Change Maker (a young professionals initiative of the Credit Unions of Jamaica), won the World Young Credit Union Professionals (WYCUP) Scholarship 2026. Marcia Osborne, group human resource and administration manager at the Jamaica Co-operative Credit Union League, secured the Global Women’s Leadership Network (GWLN) Scholarship 2026. Nicole Haughton, innovation and projects officer at the Jamaica Co-operative Credit Union League and a NeXGen Change Maker, and Nassalie Brown, legal, risk & compliance manager at JPS and Partners Co-operative Credit Union, each earned the CCCU Youth Successor Scholarship 2026.

These scholarship opportunities attracted applicants from across the Caribbean and around the world.

Campbell’s WYCUP scholarship is sponsored by the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU), the only global trade association representing credit unions and financial cooperatives at the international level across six continents. The 2026 scholarship cycle attracted 96 applications from 20 countries, making his selection among just eight recipients worldwide a remarkable accomplishment. WYCUP is a programme that recognises young professionals under 40 who demonstrate exceptional leadership, passion, and commitment to strengthening credit unions worldwide.

As a WYCUP scholar, Campbell will receive fully funded airfare, accommodation, and registration for the 2026 World Credit Union Conference (WCUC) in Sydney, Australia, from July 19-22. His experience will include participation in the WYCUP & COBA Emerging Leaders’ Summit and a global reception connecting young innovators from more than 50 countries.

Campbell is now a back-to-back international scholarship winner. He was the first recipient of the CCCU Youth Successor Scholarship in 2025, and is now a WYCUP Scholar in 2026. Reflecting on this achievement, he shares, “Being a back-to-back winner is both humbling and affirming. It reflects the discipline I have developed through my professional journey at QNET/JCCUL, as well as my personal commitment to bodybuilding, fitness and overall health and wellness. It reinforces my commitment to excellence within the credit union movement and challenges me to drive the expansion of the NexGen Change Makers’ impact not only in Jamaica, but also across the region and on a global scale.”

Osborne’s GWLN scholarship is sponsored by the Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions (WFCU), the international development and charitable arm of the World Council of Credit Unions. Through global networking and educational engagement, the foundation advances women in leadership throughout the co-operative finance sector.

She secured the scholarship after impressing judges in a highly competitive 2026 cycle that drew 83 applications from 18 countries, with only five recipients chosen worldwide.

As a GWLN scholar, Osborne will receive fully funded airfare, accommodation, and registration for the 2026 World Credit Union Conference (WCUC) in Sydney, Australia, from July 19-22. Her experience will include participation in GWLN programming, connection with Sister Society leaders and supporters from across the international credit union community, and engagement in the 2026 GWLN Lunch & Learn and breakout sessions.

This leadership opportunity is especially important to her, given the programme’s focus on female leadership. She says, “Winning the GWLN Scholarship is both an honour and a responsibility. It affirms my commitment to intentional leadership and to advancing the role of women in the decision-making spaces. The programme’s focus on women’s leadership deeply resonates with me as it will definitely strengthen my capacity to lead with impact, collaborate globally and contribute meaningfully to the empowerment of women in the credit union space and beyond.”

Haughton’s and Brown’s CCCU Youth Successor scholarships are sponsored by the Caribbean Confederation of Credit Unions (CCCU), the regional body representing credit unions and financial co-operatives across the Caribbean. The CCCU Youth Successor Programme aims to empower the next generation of credit union professionals through leadership development and networking opportunities.

The scholarship was open to applicants from credit unions and leagues across the Caribbean region, with only three spots available for the 2026 cohort. Jamaica secured two of those three spots, a remarkable achievement considering the CCCU represents 297 credit unions across 16 countries throughout the region. Haughton won her scholarship out of all the leagues in the region, while Brown won hers out of all the credit unions, both emerging victorious from a competitive selection process that drew applicants from across this extensive regional network.

As CCCU Youth Successor scholars, Haughton and Brown will attend the Caribbean Confederation of Credit Unions convention and associated Youth Summit events this June. Their experience will include networking with peers from across the region, engaging with industry leaders, and participating in leadership development sessions designed specifically for young professionals.

This is Brown’s first time applying for a regional scholarship. Reflecting on her win, she says, “This is my first time applying for the CCCU Youth Successor Scholarship, and I feel both excited and humbled to be given this opportunity. I look forward to learning and building meaningful connections with both my peers and seasoned professionals within the movement, while also contributing my skills to initiatives that will drive sustainable development within the sector.”

Haughton, however, is no stranger to regional and international representation. She says of this achievement, “What excites me the most is the chance to be in the room with regional leaders to exchange ideas and learn from the diverse experiences that shape the cooperative financial sector across our region. For me, this moment is not just a personal achievement. I see this opportunity as a chance to share my own journey and help other young and emerging leaders to see credit unions as somewhere they belong, because the movement needs us! This recognition belongs not only to me but to the movement that has invested in my development.”

Jamaica’s credit union movement is proud to invest in its people, and these scholarship victories underscore the remarkable opportunities that exist within the co-operative sector for talented professionals. The achievements of these four leaders serve as powerful examples of how the co-operative sector provides pathways for leadership development that extend far beyond local borders.

The entire credit union movement in Jamaica extends warmest congratulations to Nicholas Campbell, Marcia Osborne, Nicole Haughton, and Nassalie Brown on reaching this impressive new milestone in their professional journeys. As these four leaders prepare to represent Jamaica on the regional and world stage, they do so with the full support of the co-operative movement behind them.