Barry Wint Scholarship recipients gear up to green Jamaica’s future

Janel Samuels and Othia Fyffe stood out among more than 500 exceptional students recognised at the Dr Barry Wint Memorial Scholarship Awards Ceremony, held last Friday at the AC Marriott Hotel in St Andrew.

These two rising stars were awarded prestigious scholarships in the field of environmental health, a testament to their dedication and passion for creating a healthier Jamaica. For 21-year-old Samuels, a proud alumna of Belmont Academy in Westmoreland, receiving this scholarship is a dream come true. Bursting with excitement, she shared, "From a young age, I was fascinated by how inspectors ensured that environments were clean. My mother used to have a shop and I would always watch when they came," Samuels said.

Now in her second year at the University of Technology (UTech), Samuels is determined to make her mark as an environmentalist in Jamaica. "I'm passionate about moving around and ensuring that environments are maintained properly, because I believe a clean environment is essential for everyone's health," she said.

Samuels is not just focused on her education -- she's on a mission to inspire change in her community. "I want to be a role model, promoting sustainable practices and improving waste management," she said. "My goal is to ensure that our environment is well taken care of and that others can learn from my example."

On a similar path of passion and dedication, Fyffe, who is employed to the Northeast Regional Health Authority as a community health aide, is ready to elevate her career, and is soon to embark on her tertiary education journey. She sees the scholarship as a pivotal moment in her quest to secure a university degree.

"Seeing that there are only a few recipients in this field makes me realise the importance of our work," Fyffe said. "Without a healthy environment, there can be no good health. I'm proud to be a recipient of this scholarship and look forward to using my education to positively impact environmental practices in Jamaica and beyond."

A former head girl at Brown's Town High School in St Ann, Fyffe is set to read for a degree in environmental health at UTech.

"This scholarship will greatly assist my studies and help me become more effective in my role," she said, clearly ready to take on the challenge.

The significance of the scholarship support was underscored by Teresa Rodriguez-Moodie, CEO of the Jamaica Environment Trust.

"I think it's a great initiative; it's great to have funding opportunities available for people that want to study in this area," she said.

Under the Dr Barry Wint Memorial Scholarship Award, persons have been selected to study medical technology, human resources for health, medical social work, epidemiology, medical physics, health records management, hospital/healthcare management, information systems for health, pharmacy, dentistry, health economics, as well as nursing and medicine. The scholarships are awarded to young persons from across the island to pursue undergraduate and graduate studies in a health-related field, with some getting up to $1 million.