Army captain gets Marcus Garvey Scholarship

Army Captain Natalie James has proudly joined the distinguished group of 19 awardees of the 2023 Marcus Garvey Public Sector Graduate Scholarship.

James, an attorney-at-law, said learning that she had secured the top spot among scholarship recipients filled her with immense joy.

She reminisced, "I could not scream because I was at work. But I went home and I celebrated. I told my sisters and they were really elated. To this day, I am elated to be afforded this opportunity."

Having been commissioned as a captain in the Jamaica Defence Force in 2020, James serves within the Jamaica National Reserve. She is poised to embark on a year-long academic pursuit, enrolling in the Master of Laws in Public Law programme at The University of the West Indies, Mona, starting from September 2023.

"One of the courses that I will be pursuing is international human rights law, as well as administrative law. What these courses will provide is the opportunity to look on the legislation within my ministry that affects Jamaica, and also how we can improve public service and legislation that will provide for better coverage and protection of our citizens' rights and freedoms."

As an attorney-at-law, James currently holds the position of human-rights specialist within the Ministry of Legal and Constitutional Affairs. She has occupied this role for the past 10 months. Her aspirations are set on becoming a prominent legal figure in Jamaica's human-rights landscape.

James highlighted her enduring commitment to academic growth, stating, "My academic journey has been fulfilling. I have always been employed full-time and going to school full-time or part-time. What I've found is that my education has always helped me at work in carrying out my functions, and also uplifting me professionally," she said

James boasts a Bachelor of Laws degree from The University of the West Indies, Mona, and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Technology, Jamaica. Furthermore, she achieved a dual master's degree in project management and international trade from the Universidad Internacional Isabel I De Castilla, Spain, through online studies in 2022.

James has dedicated nearly two decades to Jamaica's public sector, first at the Registrar General's Department for a decade, followed by almost nine years at the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency.