Brilliant Manchester teen dreams of studying abroad - Hopes to elevate hometown youth

Sashaunna Lamb has dreams of pursuing career in politics, finance and economics, but more than anything the 18-year-old, who hails from the farming community of Chantilly, Manchester, also wants to be an inspiration to the youth there.

So far, she is setting a good example with her academic performances from DeCarteret College. Lamb currently has 14 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate subjects, with 12 grade ones. She said she is anticipating another six subjects once she receives her Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) results next month. Lamb's brilliance saw her being accepted by nine local and international universities, but she has decided on studying at the Leeds University Business School in the UK.

But a lack of finances is hindering the teenager from pursuing a bachelor of science in economics and finance degree. She is seeking the public's assistance in reaching the required PS21,207 (approximately $4.2 million) required to start classes in September.

"This amount is really out of it for my family. My mother is a chicken farmer and my dad is a retired police officer. We just cannot afford it so that is why I have set up the GoFundMe and am seeking assistance from the public," she said.

Lamb's initial tuition is PS24,000; however, a scholarship, which is pending as she awaits CAPE results, halves that balance to PS12,000. The British High Commission also requires that in addition to the tuition amount, prospective students have to show PS9,207 to prove that they are able to maintain themselves in the UK once their course is outside of London. This money will encompass accommodation, book and maintenance fees. Lamb said that although economics courses are offered at The University of the West Indies (UWI) here, she prefers Leeds.

"I have compared both courses and no disrespect to UWI, but Leeds blows it out of the park. Leeds is offering courses to do private equity, auditing and assurance and so many other things. Leeds has ... more opportunities that could transition me to being an analyst on Wall Street or the London financial district than if I should go to UWI," she said.

She stressed that her aim is to create better opportunities for the youth in her community and strongly believes that a solid education will lead her down that path.

"If anybody knows Chantilly in Manchester, then you will know that it is a small farming community. We have so many bright minds who are unable to transition to higher jobs. So they will take up farming while some will go into scamming or some will probably join the police force. However, they are unable to use their intellect. So with economics and finance, I hope to leverage my skills to create better opportunities for the youths," Lamb said.

Persons wishing to assist Sashana Lamb may contribute to her GoFundMe account at https://www.gofundme.com/f/hm3zu-help-sashaunna-get-to-the-university-of...