Rochell Daley, the awardee of the Joe Pereira WIGUT Scholarship for 2009–2010, relived the joy and surprise that overflowed when she was informed of her receipt of the scholarship: “I was very surprised that I got it!” Rochell’s intent has been to use the skills garnered from her Social Work degree in the Faculty of Social Sciences, her volunteerism at the Golden Age Home on Deanery Road, Kingston, and at the Jamaica Baptist Union’s head office to chart her course in a career in social work. Rochell’s positive energy bounced off her words as she outlined her goals: “I want to work with children.”

This Ardenne High and St George’s College sixth-form alumna found her niche early and credits her upbringing in one of Kingston’s lesser- valued communities for her keen sense of self and her desire to work towards positive social development. She stated very firmly, “Children need more than food in their bellies and a roof over their heads.” For Rochell, the positive socialization that is so often absent and ignored by ill-prepared parents must be brought into the mix to ensure that children are prepared for life with the right tools. “Social work is essentially about the poor, and this is what I want to do. I want to help to shape children, to re-socialize where necessary and go back to certain core values to produce young men and women of good values and strong self-esteem.” Indeed, Rochell’s programme in Social Work at the UWI put her to work with children and she signed up to work with Dr. Claudette Crawford- Brown.

Yet, Rochell also made time for some necessary fun and listed her hobbies as swimming, playing netball, listening to all genres of music, surfing the Internet and reading. Her mother and her younger sister are her bedrock, and her relationship with her father remains valuable. Rochell is surrounded by positive male energy, with Rev. Karl Johnson of the Jamaica Baptist Union continuing to be a strong mentor in her life. Rochell was inducted into UWI’s Honour Society. This is another benefit of her receipt of the Joe Pereira WIGUT Scholarship. She maintained the grade point average just under the treasured 4.0 that helped to win her the WIGUT award.

The true gift, beyond money and words, that this scholarship bestowed, was the knowledge of her potential and cementing of true confidence in her abilities. The possibilities are indeed endless for Rochell Daley, Joe Pereira WIGUT Scholarship Awardee for 2009–2010.

 A man from the West, graduate of the “great Cornwall College”, as he describes it, Sandre Malcolm is another WIGUT awardee.

    At 22 years of age, he had already rippled the waters with his passage. The recipient of the Joe Pereira Scholarship for the 2008–2009 Academic Year expressed his pride in this achievement: “I was deemed the top from a short list based on my interview.” A resident of Block C (Roosters) at Taylor Hall on the Mona Campus, Sandre studied towards a Marketing Degree in the Department of Management Studies. His entrepreneurial sense is well-developed and he has big plans for making a mark in his chosen field. Sandre’s entrepreneurial dreams were realized with his fledgling enterprise, “Fowl Play”, a T-shirt printing business which has gave way to a marketing company called “Break da Box Unlimited”. The company specialized in marketing, promotions and brand-handling on behalf of companies who wished to ply their wares on the Mona Campus. Close friend and business partner, Dwayne McIntosh, described him as an extremely creative, ethical and efficient entrepreneur who takes his work seriously and succeeds in meeting deadlines. “He is also a supportive, caring and very kind friend,” Dwayne noted. “And we work very well together.”

     Sandre described his WIGUT Award of the Joe Pereira Scholarship of 2008–2009 as both a financial help and a source of pride and accomplishment on which he continued to build. He is highly self-motivated and believes in the value of hard work. Sandre’s guiding philosophies are many, but one of his favourites is “Difference is always noticed.”

     This love for difference and his creative capacity shone forth brilliantly and landed Sandre the prize in the Scotiabank Change-Maker Challenge Competition for the English-Speaking Caribbean in July 2009. His winning proposal, for a cutting-edge viral marketing campaign with the innovative use of web-based media, under the theme “Revolution”, topped the field of highly creative entrants from across the region. Sandre’s creativity with computer design and his innovative approach to the use of computer technology has been noted as one of his strong points by business partner and friend, Dwayne McIntosh.

     His creativity, entrepreneurial activities and academic pursuits notwithstanding, Sandre managed to have fun and enjoy his life. With all his accomplishments and dreams, he is still a young man and, like a true Taylorite, partied often. Sandre is a firm believer in the value of good fun. After all, as he stated, “Don’t take life too seriously, because none of us get out alive anyway.”

I am originally from the Parish of St. James, where I attended the Herbert Morrison Technical High School. I began working after fifth form, and after a year, with the encouragement of my family, I decided to return to school. In 2003, I enrolled at UWI’s Undergraduate College in Montego Bay and then sat the GCE A' levels. I was determined to attend a university and was inspired to apply to the UWI by my high school English teacher, my undergraduate Psychology teacher, and my friend Marissa Forbes, as they are all alumni. I asked myself, “If they can do it, why can’t I?”

     After a mix-up with the admission process, a rushed move to Portmore and a challenging registration, I finally got in. I had worked for three years prior to starting classes at the UWI, saving to pay my tuition. I thought this would have been adequate to cover my expenses as I was under the impression that the tuition included books. However, I soon learned otherwise. At the end of first year, after financing tuition, books, travelling, housing and other contingencies, I was broke. Reluctantly, I applied to the Student’s Loan Bureau (SLB) for a loan. I was now more stressed than ever.

     My tuition for second year was paid but I had little cash to meet my daily needs. I started seeking viable options, so I met with Dr. Thelora Reynolds, Director of Student Services and Development, stated my case and inquired about possible financial assistance. She was helpful and directed me to the Office of Student Financing (OSF). There, I submitted an application for financial aid and was blessed with meal tickets monthly and a book grant valued at JA$10,000. I also benefitted from the Guild of Students Needy Student Fund. For the next academic year I decided, “No more SLB for me.” I enrolled in the Jamaica Values and Attitudes Project for Tertiary Students JAMVAT programme for Student Assistance through the National Youth Service, where a percentage of the tuition is paid in exchange for hours of Voluntary Service. The balance was self-financed through my initiative in the Work and Travel Summer programme for College Students, where I worked in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for three months and two weeks. I second-guessed myself when I ran into financial difficulty after buying myself a laptop computer, a multipurpose printer and repaying two personal loans. I was expecting to receive JAMVAT’s tuition aid in time to cover an outstanding $20,000 on my tuition. However, this did not materialize and I was eventually deregistered. I fell into a state of depression, but then I remembered a well-known saying: “Every cloud has a silver lining.” I registered for second semester with a new and positive attitude. By the end of this semester I applied for the annual scholarships and bursaries from the OSF. As a result, for my final year I received a total of JA$95,000 in bursaries, inclusive of the WIGUT Bursary and a Co-Curricular Bursary.

     These bursaries provided me with financial comfort and a stress-free environment in which I was able to able to focus on my studies. Even though I was a commuting student, I was not deterred from participating in campus life. In my first semester, I volunteered at the Office for Students with Special Needs, and I was presented with an Award for Outstanding Performance in Services at the annual Student Awards Ceremony. I also volunteered at the Hope Institute, spent a year in the Spanish Club and participated in the UWI Quality Leadership Programme. These co-curricular activities were avenues for me to enjoy the UWI experience and made me into a more rounded individual. Additionally, I worked at the One-Stop Graduation Centre, and due to my good work ethic I was offered a job at the Public Relations Office at UWI, Mona. I completed my programme and earned an Upper Second Class Honours Degree. I would not have achieved this milestone without the grace of God, who carried me when I could go no further. My family and friends also continually encouraged me, believing in me more than I did in myself.

     I would like to acknowledge the donors of the scholarships and bursaries that enhance the life of students on the Mona campus, especially the WIGUT Bursaries, of which I was a beneficiary. Thank you to all my lecturers and tutors, who gave me opportunities to realize my fullest academic potential. Last, and by no means least, my husband, Jag, for being there from the beginning, supporting me morally, financially, emotionally and just for being my closest friend, thank you