JN scholars among the best to sit final GSAT in March

THE JN Foundation paid tribute on Sunday to 37 boys and girls who have earned the right to become JN scholars, following stellar performances in March’s sitting of the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT).

This was the final sitting of GSAT. It has been replaced by the Primary Exit Profile.

A number of students who were awarded at the head office of JN Bank in Half-Way Tree, St Andrew, placed among the top 1,000 performers, out of roughly 39,500 students who sat the 2018 test.

The theme for the 45th annual JN scholars awards was ‘Stand up, Stand out’.

“A Canadian-based philosopher [once] said that stars don’t beg the world for attention. Their beauty forces [the world] to look up. Likewise, you don’t have to beg for attention to shine,” Natasha Levy, marketing and brand manager of JN Money, said, encouraging the excited youngsters to always stand out among the pack.

BE A LEADER

Also, in keeping with the theme, JN Foundation Grants Manager Rose Miller told the students never to follow the crowd.

“Today, we salute our 14 parish recipients, our two special awardees, the three county recipients who participate in the JN School Savers Programme and the 18 children of employees from the Jamaica National Group. I urge our scholars not to be compelled to be a part of the crowd. There are many young persons who achieved great things because they had the will to follow their dreams,” she said.

Stephen Griffiths, one of the 2011 scholarship recipients, returned to share a secret during a testimonial, telling each boy and girl to always strive for excellence, and rewards will follow.

“High school is not a walk in the park, but if you study and work hard, then you should be able to go through it. In my first year, I did what I was supposed to do and the next year, they raised the amount of money they gave me. For all five years [of high school] they increased the money. I could pay for more books and received resources to [keep doing] better at school.”

Comedian Ian ‘Ity’ Ellis was the guest speaker.

BROWN/PHOTOGRAPHER RUDOLPH Shanna Kaye Wright (left), youth marketing officer of JN Bank, presents a grant to JN School Savers scholarship awardee Yanecia Poyser of Middlesex at the annual JN Foundation 2018 Scholarship Awards Ceremony on Sunday.