HALSE HALL, Clarendon — Growing up, Christina Bartley was told she wouldn’t amount to much. It was impossible, said detractors, for anything good to come out of the modest house she shared with five relatives.

“I grew up from humble beginnings. It was just my grandmother, who I call my mother. I don’t know my biological mother or father. My grandmother said my parents ran away, leaving us on her. I grew up in a board house along with my sister, grandmother and three more relatives. People always said nothing good nah come out of my yard because so many of us lived in this one likkle board house,” the 27-year-old recalled.

Her family has proven naysayers wrong.

“Out of that one likkle board house, I came out a nurse. My cousin who is a solider came out of it and my sister is now working in the BPO sector. All of us came out of it with our subjects and made something of our lives. I always tell people it doesn’t matter where you are coming from, you can make it,” said Bartley.

She had always wanted to be a nurse, a goal achieved because of her ambition, drive and determination, her unwavering faith in God, and a few good Samaritans.

Bartley said it was an act of faith that led her to write a letter to the James and Friends Education Programme to ask for help to further her education.

“Normally I would see Mr James around the town because he assists my church brother. I decided to write a letter to him seeking sponsorship through the foundation. I delivered the letter and had completely forgotten about it. Time went by and then one Sunday I was surprised at church with a scholarship,” she recalled.

The just over $300,000 scholarship included tuition, books, lunch, rent and all other school-related expenses. The surprise also came with an opportunity to make extra cash on the overseas work and travel programme.

Through the foundation, she was sponsored by Juici Patties proprietor Jukie Chin.

It was an answer to her prayers, because even though she had no way of paying for tertiary education, she had, before receiving the scholarship, applied to three universities and was accepted by the University of technology, Jamaica.

“I applied because I wanted to go to school. I had also applied for student loans and it was approved. It worked out in a way that I got the scholarship through the programme the very week I was supposed to start school in 2016. Even before I knew how I was going to finance it, I was going about my business getting my things ready to start school. I just stepped out in faith and continued on my way,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

“While on campus, I didn’t have to worry about food because through my sponsor Mr Jukie Chin, I could go to Juici on campus every single day for my lunch,” she said.

She is convinced that her good fortune has something to do with the fact that, at age 14, she gave her life to Christ. After that, she watched everything she prayed for miraculously fall into place, she said.

“I love to help people. That’s why I became a nurse,” Bartley explained.

And she will never forget the man whose help made such a difference in her life.

“I have to big up Mr Jukie Chin because he made it possible. I don’t know him and I would love to meet him one day. It was an absolute blessing to have been afforded this opportunity because there are so many other persons he could have helped but he chose me,” she told the Observer.

“I want to say a big thank you to him. I will continue to pray that the Lord will shower His blessings upon him so he will be able to help many other persons who need the help. I needed the help and he stepped in and helped me. Now I am able to give a helping hand to somebody else who may be in need,” she added.

Bartley has promised to provide medical care to her benefactor if he ever needs it.

“I want him to know if ever there comes a time that he should need a nurse, I will ensure that he is taken care of the way he looked after me. I pray the Lord will give him the strength to continue what he’s doing and I hope that his store basket will never run dry so he will always have it to help other people,” she added.

To others who may be struggling, Bartley encouraged them to put God first in everything.

“Once you have ambition you can make it. Find what drives you, [and] do it. Write down your goals and don’t believe that because you come from a board house or a ghetto, you can’t be successful. Be that change and break the generational curse. And remember, the good that you do will find its way back to you in some way,” she said.