Ambassador Marks encourages diaspora alumni support for non-traditional high schools

WASHINGTON, DC:

Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States Audrey Marks has called for more support for non-traditional high schools which are responsible for the education of hundreds of thousands of youths, in building Jamaica.

Addressing the inaugural fundraising dinner of the Anchovy High School Past Students Association at the banquet hall of the Jamaica Café´Cuisine Restaurant in Delaware, USA, on the weekend, Ambassador Marks pointed to the paucity of representation in the Union of Jamaican Alumni Associations, and the subsequent lack of support for non-traditional educational institutions.

She noted that there is a tendency for traditional high schools to be the exclusive recipients of resources and support. In fact, she pointed out that most of the invitations she has received for functions of this kind have been from traditional high schools.

“I think this is the second invitation I am getting from one of our newer non-traditional high schools and I am here to encourage more past students of non-traditional high schools to form support organisations.” She observed that although Anchovy High is one of the newer high schools, the institution is celebrating 51 years as an educational institution.

She said the time has come for high schools like Anchovy to establish well organised alumni associations in order to take advantage of the goodwill from their past students as well as assistance from donors and other corporate bodies.

She commended the Anchovy alumni both locally and overseas for supporting their alma mater and called on past students who are not a part of the association to get involved.

UNSTINTING SERVICE

Ambassador Marks pointed out that alumni associations of high schools are a potent force of development for Jamaica. “It is most rewarding to compute the level of contribution and assistance that these organisations continue to give to the various educational institutions in Jamaica.” She signalled out particularly those in the United States under the banner of the Union of Jamaica Alumni Association (UJAA), which had made a tremendous contribution to education. She lauded the leadership of UJAA which was represented at the event by past presidents Karlene Largie and Lesleyann Samuels.

The Jamaican ambassador told the Delaware Anchovy High Alumni Chapter that “it is hard for Jamaica to fully appreciate the contribution of alumni associations in the diaspora”, and thanked the past presidents for their unstinting service for the past 25 years.“I want to take this opportunity on behalf of the Government of Jamaica to say, thank you, we value and appreciate your work.”

President of the Delaware Chapter of the Anchovy High Past Students, Damion Smith, said that the association was committed to give back to their alma mater, which has played a great role in equipping them to play their part on the world stage.

Smith said the alumni has identified a number of key projects that they will be undertaking at the institution and called on all past students to join in and support the projects which are designed to improve conditions at the institution and to prepare our students not only for needed academics but also technical and vocational supremacy.