Supporting Tasha-Gay's dream
Published:Saturday | April 12, 2014 | 12:00 AM
Shanique Samuels, Gleaner Writer
Tasha-Gay Munroe's dream is to become a bank manager (accountant) in fulfilment of her mother's dying wish.
Her mother died of cervical cancer in 2013, a year after she was diagnosed. Before she died, Tasha-Gay promised her mother she would work hard to achieve her goal even if she didn't live to witness it or share in the experience with her.
The usually bright and outspoken then grade 8 student at the Denbigh High School became a shadow of her former self after she learnt of her mother's illness. She described her mother as a hard-working single parent who was very independent and determined and who always wanted the best for her children.
After her mother passed, she was severely affected, so much so that it began to negatively affect her academic performance. Tasha-Gay recalled how much her grades plummeted and how sad she was during this time.
"I cried a lot every day and I didn't do my final exams after she died," she said as her eyes welled up with tears. "I still haven't got over the situation. It's hard, hard every day, especially when I see other persons with their mom, knowing that mine is gone."
The former head girl and top student at the Effortville Primary School was already a member of the James and Friends Education Programme (JFEP), but her mother, while on her dying bed, asked the coordinator, Otis James, to ensure that her daughter stayed in the programme and that she would continue to pursue her dream.
Tasha-Gay's sponsor, Kevin Ingram, is a fitting one as he is a bank manager at the National Commercial Bank. He said he was happy to have been able to assist her with school expenses and pledged to continue as long as she played her part and continued to excel.
Tasha-Gay is the youngest of five siblings. Her eldest sister, Toshiba, described her as smart and always spirited. "She is my lifeline. She is a burst of energy for such a young person and she is a willing and caring individual.
"My heart goes out to the JFEP because without it, I don't know how I would manage to send her to school. It is a good feeling to know he lives in the community and is playing his part. He has been a big help, much more than I could ever thank him for."
Tasha-Gay has now managed to regain some strength and courage and is well on her way to being one of the top students in her class.