Dream kept alive ... Kemar Williams says thanks

Kemar Williams, the 22-year- old Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts student, who had dropped out of school and was facing the reality of watching his dreams fade into nothing, is now beaming with joy because he was awarded a scholarship from Sagicor to continue his studies after his story was highlighted in THE STAR back in March of this year.

"I feel like I am living my dreams," Williams told THE STAR, when asked about the turnaround in his life.

The scholarship covers his school fees for the remaining time he has to finish his first degree to realise his dreams of having a career as an artist.

The St Thomas native also had his artwork on display last week.

"The art show was really good and some persons even bought a few of my artwork," Williams said.

"I want to thank all the persons who saw my story and were moved by it and supported me. I always want to thank THE STAR for highlighting the story."

While preparing to go back to school in September, Williams is also kept occupied with the dozen of requests he gets on a daily basis to paint portraits of his fans, he told THE STAR.

Williams had dropped out of school after he had exhausted all the money he saved up from working with the National Irrigation Commission.

"I started the programme, but, in the third semester, I wasn't allowed to do the exams because I couldn't afford to pay the fee," Williams said at the time.

But he was determined to make the dreams he developed of becoming an artist from his days at primary school a reality.

When Williams story appeared in the March 24, 2017 edition of THE STAR, a worker at Sagicor was so moved by the story and appealed to the president of Sagicor, Richard Byles, to grant the Seaforth High School past student a scholarship.

"She likes to help people and she expressed herself to me in a way that I couldn't say no, and so Sagicor decided to get behind and to help him, and he turns out to be a really nice fellow," Byles told THE STAR.