MONTEGO BAY, St James- Member of Parliament for St James East Central Edmund Bartlett says that, despite the novel coronavirus pandemic, some $15 million has been disbursed to needy students in the area from the constituency’s scholarship fund over the last year-and-a-half.

Over $2 million in grants was distributed during the East Central St James Education Trust’s scholarship awards ceremony for a mix of 35 secondary and tertiary students at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in the parish recently.

“That’s 35 [students] on top of the 250, including two medical students in China, that we already have in high schools and universities, and so on, that we have spent over $12 million already. So, in essence it is about $15 million in total, the expenditure on education for the constituency during the last year-and-a-half of the COVID,” Bartlett expressed.

For the past 21 years, the East Central St James Education Trust has provided scholarships for primary, secondary and tertiary-level students in the constituency.

“Education is the principal tool for development of the constituency. We have been doing it for 21 years now in East Central,” Bartlett stressed.

Among those present at the scholarship awards ceremony at the convention centre was Paige Gordon, a young attorney, who is a recipient of a scholarship.

She expressed that had it not been for the scholarship she would’ve made it through law school.

“It is so heart-warming, I was once sitting where you [recipients] are today. I am a proud beneficiary of this East Central St James Scholarship Fund… and I can proudly say that I would not be where I am today without this fund and without the help of Mr Bartlett,” Gordon shared.

“Last week I was called to the Jamaican bar to practice law in the courts of Jamaica. I am now an attorney-at-law, thanks to the East Central St James Scholarship Fund. So I am so happy and so joyful to be here and to be giving back.”

The proud Member of Parliament noted that there are many outstanding professionals around the world who have benefited from the scholarship fund.

He stated that it is his desire for his successor to hail from the constituency when he departs from the political arena.

“I am not 25 years old as I used to be. So, I am looking for a replacement. I am not going to be looking outside of East Central. I want to look inside of East Central because part of my stewardship would have been to train and build you so that you can come and replace me,” he told the recipients.

“If my stewardship doesn’t result in your benefit, then I have failed.”