ON March 8 Scotiabank hosted 50 high school girls from within the Corporate Area in a breakfast seminar aimed at providing motivation and inspiration. Playing its part to “invest in women” per the 2024 UN Women International Women’s Day theme, the Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Committee at Scotiabank curated an event for the high schoolers to facilitate interactions with several professional women. Among the students was 14-year-old Jada Wright, the youngest student ever admitted to the University of Technology.

Students from Kingston Technical High School, Vauxhall High School, Tivoli Gardens High School, Denham Town High School, and Convent of Mercy Academy ‘Alpha’ listened to inspirational presentations and posed questions to the event panel which included Scotia Group President and CEO Audrey Tugwell Henry, who also chairs the bank’s D & I Council; Dr Kasan Troupe, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information; and Charmaine Lewis, founder of Dress for Success Jamaica.

Tugwell Henry, who spoke of the importance of investing in women and girls, urged the high schoolers to be tenacious in pursuit of their dreams and stand firm in their convictions to achieve success.

“I charge you as young women to remember that there are no limits to what you can do and to not accept the limitations that will be put on you as a woman, and I dare say as a black woman in terms of what should be your role and your place in this world,” the Scotia Group CEO said.

Dr Troupe echoed her sentiments and reminded the girls of their innate ability to overcome challenges and accomplish their dreams.

“You have the capacity to become the best that you can be. You are worth every single dream you have, nothing is beyond you.” Dr Troupe told the girls.

Fourteen-year-old Wright as well as Lewis delivered presentations empowering the group of girls on how to invest in their education early, and shared tips on dressing for success.

“Every day you look in the mirror, remind yourself ‘I am strong’ I am powerful,’ ‘I deserve to have a seat at the table’…All that matters is your determination and what you want to achieve,” Wright shared.

Rosemarie Brown, acting vice-principal at Tivoli Gardens High School, lauded Scotiabank for coordinating the event and encouraged the bank to continue its efforts to empower the next generation of leaders in Jamaica.

“The function was a game changer. The girls were given a platform to shine, and they were not made to feel less than because they were from an inner-city school. The persons who spoke were chosen carefully, and they made an impact,” she said, noting that the future looks bright if corporate Jamaica continues to engage persons from inner-city communities.

According to Tonian Johnson, teacher at the Convent of Mercy Academy, ‘Alpha’, the forum ignited a fire within herself and her students to pursue their dreams fearlessly.

“The presenters were amazing. I could see the inspiration in the girls’ eyes. They were not only motivated, but also deeply moved by the messages. One line that resonated with me is ‘when others are sitting, you stand up, when others are standing, you stand out’. Now I am going to use this every day in my classes because this is a powerful statement and I know it resonated with the girls, reminding them that their circumstances don’t define them, but it’s the journey they undertake that shapes their story,” she said.

The educators expressed gratitude to Scotiabank for the valuable and empowering experience.