Burger King Scholarship awardees inspired to live out ultimate dreams

Shantalee Wilson is a step closer to achieving her dream of transforming how students learn mathematics in Jamaica after being named one of 32 recipients of the Burger King National Scholarship Programme.

The former St Jago High School student was awarded at a luncheon on Monday at the Terra Nova All Suite Hotel in St Andrew, where scholarships totalling $11 million were presented.

The 18-year-old told The Gleaner that this $400,000 investment in her education serves as a motivation for her.

“My story was considered and my aspirations were supported. It means that someone believes in me and that inspires me to live out my ultimate dream,” she said.

Describing herself as “STEM girlie”, Wilson headed the Mathematics Club at her high school, and served as vice president of the Society of Science and Technology. She also earned finalist placements in The University of the West Indies, Mona Jamaica Senior Mathematical Olympiad in 2023, and the Caribbean Science Foundation Olympiads in 2024 and 2025.

When she starts The UWI, Mona in a few weeks, to pursue a degree in mathematics education, she will be the first in her family to attend a tertiary institution, and her mother, Samantha Hamilton McDermott, couldn’t be more proud.

“My little income is nothing towards what Burger King is doing for her,” Hamilton McDermott, who works as a vendor, told The Gleaner.

ADMIRABLE

She said she admires how her daughter has maintained good academic standing over the years while displaying strong leadership capabilities.

“She always help her brother and her little sister, and also helps at church and dem tings deh. Mi really feel nice fi her,” she said. “Just continue beat the books, and further your education, and have a little family, have a likkle business and give back to the community.”

Wilson said she intends to establish an equitable mathematics programme in the future.

“I want it to be a community space where persons can come in and donate books and materials and I can give back to the community, where people can get homework help and tutoring sessions,” she said.

Meanwhile, Mikhai Sillpatt, the recipient of the Rodwell Lake scholarship, believes the award was divinely ordained for him to realise his purpose of inspiring youth.

“It is a perfect opportunity for me to inspire the youth and make them believe education is more of a success story, realising the life of crime is not where its at. We all have a purpose in life, we all have something to fulfil,” he said.

The scholarship is valued at $1.5 million, payable over three years. Sillpatt, a former St George’s College student, said it is especially significant as his father, who worked as a garbage collector as well as other forms of casual work, was recently diagnosed with posterior circulatory stroke which has rendered him immobile.

He said his decision to pursue a medical career was influenced by his father’s experience.

“I believe that if my father had received the proper treatment at an affordable cost instead of just doing so much tests and not getting anything done. I want to be the person to be supplying that healthcare to people,” he said.

Expressing her pride in her son, Karen Richard Sillpatt, said the scholarship will go a far way in helping to cover the costs for medical school.

“I am very proud, I am a very proud mom,” she said. “He is well rounded, he took his education very serious, he studied a lot, sleepless nights, and I can see that his sleepless nights has worked out. Even though he is a student, he is always teaching other students to achieve their grades as well.”

Rosemarie Hall Stewart said she was surprised to learn that her daughter, Gabriela, had applied for the Burger King National Scholarship, but overjoyed when she was named a recipient.

Gabriela, a final-year animation student at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, received one of the 32 scholarships, valued at $11 million awarded by Burger King during the luncheon at the Terra Nova.

Hall Stewart, a single mother, expressed pride in her daughter who she described as very driven. She said she had earned a scholarship for the first three years for her tuition, and they had been avidly applying for scholarships to fund her final year.

Gabriela explained that she wants to use her education to create, bring awareness to societal issues and contribute to a better future through innovation, storytelling, advocacy or research.

Meanwhile, Head of Sales and Marketing at Burger King, Nadia Kiffin Green said the scholarship programme is celebrating 25 years of investing in education at all levels. To date, she said it has contributed more than $100 million, making it one of the longest standing scholarship programmes.

“This is not just an investment in individuals, it is an investment in Jamaica’s youth, in Jamaica’s communities, and it’s an investment in Jamaica’s future leaders,” she said.

sashana.small@gleanerjm.com