JANESE Jackson of Wolmer's Girls School and Jheanell Johnson of Ardenne High School are the 2006 recipients of the JPS/Kettering University Scholarship, which is valued at J$1million. The scholarship offers students from inner-city communities - who are high academic achievers - the opportunity to pursue accredited pre-engineering and pre-management courses for six weeks in the Academically Interested Minorities Summer Programme (AIM) at Kettering University in Flint, Michigan, USA. It is expected that the programme will provide the students with an appreciation for other cultures as they live and study in a multi-cultural environment, JPS said in a news release.
"JPS also hopes that the programme will significantly enhance educational opportunities for the students and assist them in making a successful transition from high school to college," the utility company said. If Janese and Jheanell excel during the summer programme, they will each receive full scholarship to pursue full-time Bachelor Degrees in Business Management or Engineering at Kettering University. Both students were expected to leave the island later today for Kettering University in Flint, Michigan.
They received their travel package at a press conference on Thursday at the JPS head office in New Kingston. Janese and Jheanell who are currently lower sixth form students, were chosen after a rigorous process which involved selection by Kettering University from a short list of candidates.
Janese, who lives in the Maxfield area, said she was "very grateful" to have been given this opportunity.
"I will definitely ensure that I make JPS, my parents, my teachers and Jamaica proud," she remarked. Jheanell, who is from the Rockfort community, was also quite delighted that she was selected for the scholarship.
"I am truly elated at this opportunity and I plan to do well in the programme." The JPS/Kettering Scholarship is currently in its fourth year. In 2004 JPS reaped major success when three of the four Jamaican participants received full scholarships to Kettering University. Two of those students, Nackia Chamberlain and Tevita Skeine are currently at Kettering University pursuing their Bachelors degrees.
Since the inception of the programme in summer 2003, the JPS/Kettering University programme has sent 10 students from inner-city communities to Michigan at a cost of over J$5 million. |
