The GraceKennedy Jamaican Birthright Programme for 2008 will take place from June 27 - August 8, 2008. Four candidates have been selected: 1 from Canada, 1 from the United Kingdom and 2 from the United States.

CANADA:

Nailah Gordon Decicieo: Nailah has recently graduated with an Honours Bachelors Commerce and a minor in Economics from the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University. She is the exiting President of the African-Caribbean Association at McMaster University, where she was determined to raise the bar in advancing cultural awareness. Recently awarded by McMaster the Rudy Heinzl Award of Excellence for Outstanding Student Leadership, her vision to enhance the unity of the members, extend a sense of cultural pride beyond those of African-Caribbean descent and create a club where members could seek academic, social, and physical enrichment was accomplished. With plans to study law and complete her M.B.A., Nailah has received numerous awards and scholarships during her university career including the AIC Academic Scholarship and the VMBS Scholarship for Academic Excellence. She will be honing her marketing skills even further while working with First Global Bank for the summer.

UNITED KINGDOM:

Ipana Chambers: Born and raised in London, Ipana graduated with a Law degree from the University of Liverpool and recently completed the New York Bar exam in March 2008. She is a graduate of the prestigious Windsor Fellowship Leadership Program. She currently volunteers as a mentor for disadvantaged teenagers and also advised the London Metropolitan Police on diversity issues in the black community. Her biggest achievement to date was surviving ten weeks in the Californian Redwood forest, where she worked as a counselor at a children’s summer camp. Ipana will be working with the Corporate Secretariat and Legal Department at GraceKennedy Ltd.

USA:

Jonathan Scott: Jonathan is in his final year at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). He will graduate in December 2008 with a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. He is a past Leadership Institute Scholar through the university’s Office for Diversity and Multicultural Affairs; a UNC Admissions Ambassador and a co-chair for EmBrACE (Emphasizing Brotherhood Across Campus Effectively), an organization formed to promote positive representations of African-American males in today’s society. Among his many awards Jonathan has been named to the National Dean’s List and is an Edmister Fund Merit Scholarship recipient. He is an avid footballer and is a member of the UNC Rams Club Soccer team. Jonathan will have the privilege of working within the GK Foods Division specifically assigned to the Product Development Division/Global Brands.

Stephanie King: Stephanie completed her BSc. in Human Development from Cornell University in 2007 and is currently in her first year of a Masters Programme in Social Work at the University of Pennsylvania. Her primary focus is inner-city ‘at-risk’ youths and social policy. A dedicated athlete, Stephanie has several track & field records from high school and Cornell University. Stephanie will run the annual Grace & Staff Computer Camp and counsel students at the L.I.C.K Centre during her stay in Jamaica.

Posted: June 23, 2006