Jamaican student receives Stamps Scholarship
Rebecca Lampert joins the 15th class of scholars to attend Barry University
REBECCA LAMPERT of Kingston, Jamaica, has been awarded the Stamps Scholarship and will attend Barry University beginning in the fall of 2020 and plans to study business management.
Selected from over 263,000 applications, the 15th class of Stamps Scholars was chosen via rigorous processes by their universities and colleges for their academic excellence, leadership experience, dedication to service, and exceptional character.
Rebecca Lampert is the First Female Jamaican Stamps Scholar. A graduate of Hillel Academy, Rebecca is passionate about two things: baking and public service.
A former youth mayor, Rebecca ascended to the post after first serving as junior councillor and project manager within the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC). There, she was able to develop her leadership skills, and she worked with “an amazing set of young people”.
Rebecca applied to her mother’s alma
mater, Barry University, and was encouraged to apply for the scholarship because it seemed a “natural fit”.
The Stamps Scholarship focuses on leadership and service, very similar to her experience as a youth mayor.
The vetting process took several months following her acceptance to Barry to study business administration. In addition to the formal application, the process required a written and video essay, multiple interviews, and input from several references.
OVERJOYED
When Rebecca received the email confirming her as the first female Jamaican to be awarded the scholarship, she was at a loss for words. “Excited, overjoyed, blessed – none of them truly captured how I felt.”
She looks forward to meeting other scholarship recipients. Rebecca expects that being a Stamps Scholar will allow her to grow as a leader, be more globally aware, and make lifelong connections with like-minded individuals.
Once she graduates from Barry University, Rebecca plans to pursue her dual passion to open a bakery and continue offering herself in public service.
NETWORKING
One of the key benefits of the Stamps Scholarship is the opportunity for scholars to network with an international community of peers and alumni from regional conferences and informal meet-ups hosted by partner schools to the biennial Stamps Scholars National Convention. In April 2019, almost 700 Stamps Scholars gathered for the fifth Stamps Scholar National Convention at Georgia Tech, where scholars explored innovative solutions to topics ranging from food insecurity to digital ethics, investigated society’s most pressing issues, and learned from accomplished community leaders.
The sixth convention will take place in April 2021, with Stamps Scholars from many partner schools playing an integral role in its planning and execution.
“Through our partnerships with these great universities and colleges, we are able to support some truly outstanding young people as they pursue their goals. By creating community among them via our conventions and networking, we help them connect with others across the country and around the world with similar goals and aspirations. This year’s group of new students join us at a time when our alumni network has grown stronger and more capable to be leaders in innovation across STEM, humanities, business, and other fields,” said Roe Stamps, founder and chairman of the Stamps Scholars Program.
In January of 2020, a group of Stamps Scholars from various partner schools across the country enjoyed a behind-the-scenes visit to Washington, D.C., as organised by an alumna currently working at the White House. Stamps Scholars are also among the recipients of awards, including Fulbright, Gates Cambridge, Goldwater, Marshall, Rhodes, Truman, and Schwarzman scholarships.
One Jamaican has previously received the scholarship.
“Through our partnerships with these great universities and colleges, we are able to support some truly outstanding young people as they pursue their goals.”