Grace Scholarship Fund shines again

THE GRACE Scholarship Fund will host its fourth Annual Scholarship Reception Ceremony in Kingston on Saturday, September 2.

Ten Jamaican students will be receiving gifts ranging from $65,000 to $127,000.

Since its inception in 2014 by founder and executive director Charissa Lawrence, the Fund has distributed over $1.2 million in scholarships to 17 Jamaican high-school and college students. Scholars have ranged in age from 17-23 years old and have enrolled in highereducation programmes around the world.

Past scholarship recipients have graduated from a wide range of Jamaican high schools and have gone on to pursue degrees domestically and abroad at University of the West Indies, Northern Caribbean University, Bethlehem Moravian College, University of Paris in France and Wesleyan College in the United States, just to name a few.

The Grace Scholarship Fund focuses on delivering financial gifts to young Jamaicans who exhibit both financial hardship and a serious commitment to pursuing their higher education. Donors to the fund hail from the United States, Jamaica, Canada, Europe and South America – a truly global pool of philanthropists.

In addition to offering scholarships to traditional colleges and universities, this year, the fund is gifting its first scholarship to a trade school student at The Jamaican-German Automotive School (aka JAGAS). The scholarship is wholly funded by the Laing Family of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States, in honour of their father and husband, Thomas E. Laing Sr, who was a proud steward of Jamaican culture and a successful automotive industry professional for over 40 years.

“The fund was started four years ago as a vehicle for myself and others to support Jamaican youth. We’ve grown a lot over the years due to the kindness of individuals across the globe,” said Lawrence.

“We look forward to sharing the names and profiles of our 2017 recipients with the broader Jamaican community in a few weeks!” said the enthusiastic Lawrence.

This year, a total of 10 scholarships will be delivered to students attending the following colleges, universities and trade schools: Bethlehem Moravian College, University of Technology, Northern Caribbean University, Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College, the College of Agriculture, Science and Education, Caribbean Maritime Institute, and the University of the West Indies.