Medical student, Tasha Gay Campbell, who is the recipient of the 2017 custos emeritus Radcliffe Walters Scholarship Award, says that she is ready to give back to her community of Grants Mountain in St Ann.
The 20-year-old young woman, who is presently pursing her studies at the University of the West Indies campus in Montego Bay, St James is also an I-Believe ambassador for Jamaica as part of the Governor General’s programme for excellence since 2015 and is the 2017 recipient of the Governor General’s Award for St Ann.
Ms Campbell is a past student of the St Hilda’s Diocesan High School, where she has received the United States Embassy award for the highest average in the school. In addition, she has served in leadership roles, including deputy head girl of Herbert Morrison Technical High School.
Ms Campbell attained seven ones and a two at the CXC/CSEC level and continued to excel at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) level.
In accepting the award last Saturday at the St Ann Justices of the peace association (SAJPA) annual award, Ms Campbell said she felt “honored and humbled.”
“It was not easy going to school, sometimes not having lunch money, but because of the dedication, perseverance, the faith in God; all that helped me to make me the person I am… I couldn’t have done this without my parents,” she explained.
She thanked as well the scholarship committee of the SAJPA for the scholarship valued at $100,000. The committee is chaired by JP Gloria Johnson.
In the meantime, Ms Campbell said, she was now ready to give back.
“At the end of the day, it is not about our accomplishments, but is who we can help, what we can give back… As an I-Believe ambassador, a Governor General Awardee and as a Jamaican, I feel obligated. I feel obligated o give back to Jamaica,” she argued.
She said that once she has completed her studies in the next six years, she would contribute to the health sector, especially in her rural communities, such as Grants Mountain, where she is from.
In her own way, Ms Campbell has started the process as she has started the Grants Mountain Association and is trying to get a community centre in the area. She explained to those gathered at the ceremony that Grants Mountain was a deep rural community. She added that some students were afraid that if they stopped at the library (in other towns), they would not be able to go home.
According to Ms Campbell, the establishment of this community centre will help the students to access information and influence socialization among community members.
Ms Campbell ended by giving her assurance that she intended on continuing to make her “light shine.”
Moved by her speech, SAJPA awardee Anthony Charley committed on offering 500 blocks towards the establishment of the community centre in Grants Mountain.
Mr Charley, in his capacity as president of the St Ann Parish Development Company, also said he would give an additional $25,000 towards Ms Campbell’s scholarship.
