‘Write your own destiny’ - St James custos encourages students to reach for the stars

Custos of St James, Bishop Conrad Pitkin took the opportunity to encourage and advise over 300 primary and junior high-school students from upper St James communities who were gathered at the New Fortress Energy’s (NFE) annual back-to-school fair recently.

“Nobody gets to write your destiny but you. Your future is in your hands; your life is what you make of it. Nothing, absolutely nothing, is beyond your reach so long as you’re willing to dream big; so long as you’re willing to work hard; so long as you’re willing to stay focused on your school work,” the custos told his captive audience.

“Excelling in school isn’t mainly about being smarter than everybody else; it’s about working harder than everybody else. No one is born good at everything; you become good at things through hard work. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it – that’s O,K because hard work is a key ingredient in success. So whatever honest work it takes for you to do well in your schoolwork, do it,” Custos Pitkin impressed upon the children.

He was speaking at the brief opening ceremony at the fair, which was held in collaboration with the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) at Pier One.

Meanwhile, president of the MBCCI, Janet Silvera, congratulated the students on being selected by their schools to be fêted. “You’re here because you worked hard throughout the year and we are celebrating you today – and so we encourage you to work even harder and stay focused so you can reap many, many more benefits,” Silvera said.

“When New Fortress Energy approached us to collaborate with them on this initiative, it was very easy for us to say yes. At MBCCI, we understand that education is the key to lifting people, communities and nations out of poverty, and we are committed to continue investing in our children to help them realise their true potential. On behalf of our entire executive team, we commend New Fortress Energy for this very important initiative that they have undertaken in Montego Bay for the second consecutive year, and we look forward to collaborating with them again next year and years to come,” Silvera added.

Since the start of the back-to-school season, New Fortress Energy has treated over 1,500 students with backpacks filled with notebooks, pens and pencils plus medical examinations, dental checks and haircuts in Old Harbour Bay communities, close to the Jamalco refinery and now in Montego Bay. The students were also awarded vouchers valued at $7,000 each to be used at partnering stores to purchase uniforms and other school supplies at Maxie Department Store and Winmars in May Pen; Old Harbour Books and Stationary Supplies in St Old Harbour Bay; and Maxie Department Store and Henderson’s Bookstore in Montego Bay.

CHANGING LIVES

For their part, Verona Carter, vice-president, in charge of public affairs for New Fortress Energy, said: “For us at NFE, we believe that as we transform Jamaica’s energy landscape to using a cleaner, more efficient source of energy, the lives of the people in the communities in which we operate must also be transformed – and that is why we’re celebrating you today.”

Carter added: “ I want to use this platform to show you that with hard work comes great reward. It’s not about where you’re from, what last name you have or how you started. It’s about your drive and ambition to succeed, and how you can use education to lift yourself and your families out of your current circumstances. I implore you to stay focused on your dream to succeed and always put your best foot forward.”