2006 Birthright Ambassadors Testimonials
Dale Dawes
 Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Dale completed a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics at the University of Pittsburgh in June of this year. He received the Challenge Scholarship that provided him with tuition for his four years in University and was consistently on the Dean's Honour List for each semester.
When I first heard about the GraceKennedy Birthright Programme a cliché came to mind, "too good to be true". Subsequently, GraceKennedy Limited enabled me to have one the greatest experiences of my life. The opportunities afforded to me because of this internship were nothing short of a blessing. I now know more about my history, my culture and thus myself. It was a life changing experience that helped me grow personally and professionally. Some days were so thrilling, so exciting and so much fun that it was surreal! The most ostentatious words would inadequately describe the Birthright Programme; only the thousands of pictures and the irreplaceable memories come close.
Rachel Amosu
 Rachel graduated from Oxford University in June 2006 with a bachelor's degree in Human Sciences. Rachel was actively involved in the Oxford Access Scheme which is a programme designed to create links with schools in underprivileged areas. Upon returning home from the GraceKennedy Birthright Programme Rachel was awarded the top award for Educational Achievement among Black African and African-Caribbean students in London.
".I find it difficult to speak about Jamaica these days without gushing; waxing lyrically about the people, the lifestyle and the sensational two months I spent there this summer. Professionally, it was as if tailor-made- working for Grace and Staff was immeasurably rewarding and fed my passion for community work. Personally, being given the opportunity to meet my grandma, aunts, uncles and cousins for the first time was such an incredible blessing.
And now, even though those two months are inching further and further into the past, its positive repercussions continue to surprise me - reaching further and wider than I could have anticipated. Since my return, I have turned quashing Jamaica myths into a hobby, and my tales of my summer have encouraged a few Jamaicans here in England to go ahead and make that long-promised trip home.
ow, I don't know whether it was one of these tales, the myriad selection of souvenirs (or indeed, the bottles of Appleton rum) that I brought back - but something was certainly sparked in my household by my time on the island, the result of never having been as a family. Either way, I know for sure that the single most important consequence of those two months happened on the 23rd of October. My seventeen-year-old sister is flying to Jamaica for the first time. And with her, my granddad, who has decided to return home to St James indefinitely. A journey long overdue - finally sharply snapped into the present, thanks to the opportunity given to me by the Programme.
HOW DO STUDENTS APPLY?
- Candidates must complete an application form
- Along with the application form, candidate will be required to include 4 passport sized photographs, his/her official transcript, and a one-page essay on why he/she would make the ideal candidate for this programme.
- Candidate must be pursuing either an undergraduate or graduate degree
- Candidate must have a Grade Point Average of 3.0 or above (i.e. a 'B' average or higher)
- Candidate must be of Jamaican parentage/grand parentage
- Candidate must be between the ages of 18 to 30 years old
HOW DO INTERESTED STUDENTS ACCESS THE APPLICATION FORM?
|
