County PEP scholars receive $250,000 each from JN Foundation

Kaliah Atkinson, Krishnae’ Gardner and Tiarra Bailey are the Jamaica National (JN) Bank Easi-Save County Scholars for 2024.

Each has received a scholarship valued at $250,000, which will be disbursed over a five-year period.

The County Scholars were among 47 students toasted by the JN Foundation during a Primary Exit Profile (PEP) scholarship reception, held at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston, on Sunday, under the theme ‘Nourish Your Spark’.

Atkinson, who hails from the county of Surrey, said that her family provided all the support she needed to prepare for PEP.

“My biggest cheerleader was my aunt and my biggest supporters were my mother and father. It feels good to be a student at Immaculate and a JN scholar, because I know all my hard work has paid off. A lot of the times I felt so tired during the school day, but I pushed through and that has paid off,” she shared.

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A past student of Mona Heights Primary School, Atkinson encouraged students preparing for the upcoming PEP exams not to override their brains with information.

“You have to find time for yourself, find time for your hobbies and find time for your personal relationships,” she said.

Atkinson is grateful to be among the scholarship recipients.

“It will take some stress off my parents every year. I will strive for excellence, so that I can maintain my scholarship,” she said.

For Gardner, the scholarship recipient for the county of Cornwall and a former student of Olympus Academy, scheduling study time and pacing herself were core ingredients in her PEP success formula.

“Even though I am a good student and I studied hard, I was still nervous about my results. Once I found out that I passed for Montego Bay High School for Girls, I felt good about myself,” she said, noting that it was her first choice.

She said that being a scholarship recipient means that she needs to continue working hard to make her family and JN proud of their investment in her education.

Meanwhile, Bailey, who received the scholarship for the county of Middlesex, shared that practice papers were key to securing a place at her first choice, Ardenne High School.

“I always went to Saturday class and extra lessons. They helped to prepare me and exposed me to past papers. When I got home, I usually relaxed because if you don’t relax you will get overwhelmed,” she said.

Formerly of Southborough Primary School in Portmore, St Catherine, Bailey explained that she balanced academics with extracurricular activities and hobbies, which include reading, singing, dancing and swimming.

“This scholarship will help me to be focused. Every time I feel down, I can just be like ‘Remember, you were one of those people’, so I think it will help me to keep my spark going,” Bailey said.