3 Scholarship Awardees Say Thanks, Outline How Discovery Bauxite Assisted Their Academic Journey
DISCOVERY BAY, St Ann; Aug 23, 2026
Even as Discovery Bauxite gave scholarships to more than 60 high-achieving high school-bound PEP students from its operating area, previous awardees sang the praises of the bauxite company and the benefits they derived from financially assisted education.
At the awards ceremony on Thursday, August 13, 2026, at Port Rhodes Sports Club, Discovery Bay, St Ann, three previous recipients of the company’s scholarship programme – that also extends to the tertiary level — said thanks and spoke about their journey and the help from the bauxite company.
Dr Daren Johnson, a former recipient who works as a consultant in Government, was the guest speaker at the event. Another, Stasha Marston, is about to commence her final year in the Pharmacy programme at UWI.
The third, former recipient Abrianna Greaves, just completed sixth form at St Hilda’s Diocesan High and is going on to UWI to study Biochemical Engineering.
(Dr Daren Johnson delivering the main address and handing a certificate to a scholarship recipient).
Dr. Daren Johnson disclosed that the financial help afforded to him by the company years ago was important on his journey. “I want to say thanks; the company did not know me, but that did not stop them from helping me on several occasions”, he told the awards function. Dr. Johnson, who is from the small community of Middle Buxton, thanked many in the community who contributed and assisted his studies from the time he completed primary school. In congratulating the students being awarded this year, he said their success in the exams, as was the case with him years ago, did not mean their books, lunch money, bus fares or uniform money got taken care of because of a “pass”. He said people who owed him nothing supported the promise he represented. He said the scholarships to the students were not a trophy or finished product; they were bet on them in the way people bet on him or assisted because of the promise he showed. Dr Johnson told the students that Discovery Bauxite was betting on them and they should “go and prove them [Discovery Bauxite] right.”
(Stasha Marston, saying thanks)
Meanwhile, Stasha Marston spoke about her journey to the final year of her course in Pharmacy at the UWI. Ms Marston told the latest set of awardees that the four-year tertiary scholarship from Discovery Bauxite has been of tremendous help in her studies. She urged the PEP awardees to work hard and become the best version of themselves. Miss Marston hails from Brown’s Town.
(Abrianna Greaves, now to enter UWI)
Another of the previous beneficiaries, Abrianna Greaves from Culloden district, received a seven-year scholarship from the mining company while at St Hilda’s. She was the overall top female PEP student in 2019. She has been accepted to the University of the West Indies to pursue studies in Biochemical Engineering. She urged the awardees to make full use of the support from Discovery Bauxite. According to Abrianna, her scholarship went a far way in contributing to her success at St Hilda’s.
For her part, Human Resources Manager at Discovery Bauxite, Nordia Tracey stated that the company took its contribution to education very seriously. “It [education] receives the largest attention of all our outreach programmes.” She said education was the most far-reaching of the programmes in which the company was involved. “It’s a pleasure to be engaged in this way,” Ms Tracey said.60 PEP AWARDEES CELEBRATED BY DISCOVERY BAUXITE
Giving details of the extent of the programme for this year, the company’s PR Executive Kent Skyers disclosed that a total of 150 students were slated to receive financial support from the company.
Mr Skyers, who chaired the function, said Discovery Bauxite has a long history of assisting students in its operating areas who are attending educational institutions at the secondary and tertiary levels.
“Over the years, hundreds of students mainly from deep rural communities have benefited from this assistance programme,” he said.
In addition to the awards to more than 60 students from over 30 primary schools in the operating area of Discovery Bauxite, other special awards were presented to students and teachers.
WATCH AND LISTEN TO ABRIANNA GREAVES IN HER MOTIVATIONAL TALK:
