Five persons inducted to Immaculate Conception High School Hall of Fame
Alumna, Island Grill founder, Thalia Lyn, launches scholarship
FIVE OUTSTANDING individuals were inducted into the Immaculate Conception High School Hall
of Fame at this year’s benefit gala held at The Jamaica Pegasus on Saturday, March 16. The event themed ‘Learn, Lead, Lift’, celebrated the inductees as well as the tradition of excellence at the institution. Those honoured were; Margaret Campbell – Education Donette Chin-Loy Chang – Community Leadership and Philanthropy, Cathrine Sani – Social Services and Volunteerism, Michelle Gyles-McDonnough – International Relations and Public Service and Steven Woodham, OD – President’s Award for Outstanding Service.
The event also saw the launch of the Lyn Family/Island Grill Scholarship in Technology by Thalia Lyn, founder of Island Grill. According to a release, ICHS‘enjoys an endearing affiliation with Lyn, who is a proud past student, a former teacher at her alma mater, and the first inductee for Business at the ICHS Alumnae Association’s inaugural gala in 2013’.
Lyn, known for her philanthropy and passion for empowering young women, lauded the ICHS for producing outstanding graduates for over 166 years, and ensuring they have access to a stellar cadre of role models, mentors and an invaluable network of ‘Big Sisters’ to support them as they embark on their varied career paths.
Established in 2013, to recognise and honour outstanding ICHS alumnae, the gala is one of the largest networking fundraisers of the Alumnae Association. This year’s event has an ambitious target of raising $10m for scholarships.
Lyn remarked: “Generational success means national success. It means sustainability and security for our nation and generations to come. This is exemplified by ICHS as a pillar of the Jamaican society.” She added: “There is immeasurable value in paying it forward. Nation-building is incumbent on us remembering on whose shoulders we stood, lifting others on ours as we carry them on that path, illuminated by four Ps: passion, perseverance, planning and purpose. Big congrats to our ICHS Alumnae Association for embodying all four Ps in the execution of this gala and by continuously working on projects at our alma mater.”
This year’s induction took on even greater significance for Lyn as her sister-in-law, Donette Chin-Loy
Chang, conceptualiser of the ICHS Hall of Fame, was among the inductees. The evening of giving continued as Denille Ashwood Bahadosingh, senior marketing officer for Island Grill, herself an ICHS alumna, committed two of her monthly Island Grill marketing voucher allotments to ninth grader, Zoelle Jamel, who was in attendance at the gala along with her coach Franz Forde. “We had to ensure that this outstanding student, just named to the national team and heading to the Carifta Games, can ‘Eat Good, Live Good’. We continue our generational empowerment through tokens such as
these, educational grants, school supplies and other initiatives for staff and communities aimed at supporting
Jamaica’s most valuable assets – its people,”Ashwood Bahadosingh said.