The St Mary Education Trust (SMET), a registered charity for the furtherance of education of Jamaica’s youth and future leaders, mainly in the parish of St Mary was officially launched last Friday (August 26) with hopes of attracting scholarships to add to its portfolio and increasing its scope as it grows.

Since its inception two years ago, the trust has already provided more than $4.4 million in funding to unlock the potential of the next generation of young leaders mainly from St Mary.

Jamaica Producers Group’s (JP) Corporate Social Responsibility Policy prioritises children, health and wellness, the environment and education, and was a founding supporter of the Sydney A. Philips Scholarship Trust which provides tertiary scholarships to outstanding students from St Mary.

In 2020, JP and the Sydney A. Phillips Scholarship Trust proudly partnered to form the St Mary Education Trust (SMET), uniting the Sydney A. Phillips Scholarships and JP’s Ernest Johnston Memorial Bursary under one united trust.

It is committed to paving the way for exceptional tertiary students to continue pursuing their dreams through the awarding of academic scholarships.

YOUNG PEOPLE OF EXCEPTIONAL INTELLECT AND CHARACTER

Over the years, the Sydney A. Phillips Scholarship and the Ernest Johnston Memorial Bursary have granted scholarships and grants to more than 90 outstanding Jamaican students, with SAP granting approximately $21 million in scholarships and EMBJ granting approximately $5 million in bursaries.

The mandate of SMET is to promote, encourage and enable the education of bright young Jamaicans.

Those selected are young people of exceptional intellect and character and who are motivated and determined to achieve their academic goals.

Recipients of the Sydney A. Phillips Scholarships are awarded grants, currently of J$300,000 per annum, for the duration of their degree (providing the students remain in good academic standing).

Similarly, each year, one student majoring in agriculture, shipping and/or business-related fields, is chosen for the Ernest Johnston Memorial Bursary and is awarded an annual grant, currently of J$300,000, renewable for up to three years provided the student maintains good academic standing.

Jamaica Producers Group CEO Jeffrey Hall shared: “This is my favourite day in the annual JP calendar. Every year when we host this awards ceremony, I get a sense that we can still do more, and impact more lives, and just that this is such an important programme. St Mary has phenomenal talent, and we just want to play a role in supporting them to achieve their dreams and hopefully continue to develop St Mary as a result.”

For more than 20 years, the Ernest Johnston Memorial Bursary and the Sydney A. Phillips Scholarship have assisted scores of students on their quest for a tertiary education, funded through the kind patronage of their donors.

Ernest Johnston was a former longstanding director of Jamaica Producers Group and a well-known businessman who served as managing director of Jamaica Fruit & Shipping Company Limited.

Sydney Phillips was a senator in the first post-independence government, custos of St Mary, chairman of the Banana Board and founding partner in the law firm of Robinson Phillips and Whitehorne, who dedicated his life to the development of St Mary.

At the official launch ceremony, new and continuing scholarship and grant recipients were awarded. They are:

1. Sanjae Dunn (Plant Sciences student at UWI)
2. Drew Davis (BioChemistry student at UWI)
3. Dealia Dunbar (Computer Science student at UWI)
4. Trudy Ann Walker (Business Admin/Accounts student at NCU)
5. Lascelles Williams (Banking & Finance student at UWI)
6. Shandre Hinds (Agricultural Production & Food System Management student at CASE)
7. Kawaine Anderson (Hospitality & Tourism Management student at UTech)
8. Cornelius Ross (Actuarial Science student at UWI)
9. Nicalia Shattock (Food Chemistry student at UWI)
10. Xandrea Roach (Law student at the Norman Manley Law School).

“Education is the key to development. The St Mary Education Trust has provided a critical organisational structure – indeed a lifeline – to ensure the continuity of the work of both the Ernest Johnston Memorial Bursary and the Sydney A. Phillips Scholarship which have for decades been assisting tertiary students. The impact these scholarships have made on so many who have gone on to play important roles in our society cannot be overstated. We believe that under the aegis of SMET, we will be able to provide better support and to attract other resources to the educational process,” Elizabeth Phillips, chair of the SMET, shared enthusiastically.

The students, both new and continuing, were elated to receive their awards.

Anderson, third year Hospitality & Tourism Management student at UTech and continuing recipient of the Sydney A. Phillips Scholarship, shared that the scholarship has helped him in two major ways.

“Firstly, it eases the burden of having to think about tuition and where the money is going to come from and secondly, it shows how much people believe in you,” he said.

“That’s been a real motivator for me because I feel even more compelled to work hard to make my family and the SMET family proud. To realise that their investment in me has been, and will continue to be, worthwhile.”

Trudy-Ann Walker, second year Business Administration student at NCU and new recipient of the Sydney A. Phillips Scholarship expressed: “Not only does this benefit our future as recipients, but also the future of St. Mary and the future of Jamaica. I truly do believe that an investment in education pays the best interest. This scholarship will allow me to pursue my academic goals and dedicate my focus on my studies and additional education opportunities. It’s a major mental and financial relief. I’m sure I can speak on behalf of my fellow recipients when I say that we will do our utmost best to repay the trust and investment you have placed in us, to ensure we achieve our goals, to be model students and to help others along the way.”