Edwards achieves goal of being a National Scholar

Motivated by the achievements of her cousins who obtained National Scholarships in the past, Jay-Anna Edwards embarked on a journey to uphold that legacy and secure a prosperous future for herself.

“I’ve seen them achieve national scholarships and do well at university, so it is something that I’ve always looked up to and wanted to achieve,” Edwards, one of four recipients of the Prime Minister’s Award told SEARCHLIGHT.

“I felt very ecstatic; I felt like all my hard work had finally paid off because I knew I tried my best. It was just a really good feeling—that I’ve accomplished one of my goals of being a national scholar.”

Although not the first family member to attain national scholar status, Edwards related that her family, particularly her mother and aunts, were elated by her achievement.

“Everyone was happy and proud of me. With my family, they’re big on education. Once I needed something, they would always come in and put their foot forward and offer helping hands,” said Edwards.

The national scholar is currently employed as a Customer Service Representative at the St Vincent Building and Loan Association. She was at work when she saw the message that she was one of the Prime Minister’s Awardees.

“… everyone was talking around me. I was also doing a lot, so it didn’t really hit me until I got home,” she recounted.

With success comes considerable sacrifices. For Edwards, it mean having to wake up at 3:00 a.m to get work done. During these early hours, she found comfort in the silence which helped her to focus, dedicating two hours to completing schoolwork, laboratory assignments, and reviewing her notes.

Edwards achieved passes in all 14 subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) level, and subsequently pursued six Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) subjects at the SVG Community College, where she encountered challenges, particularly clashes in her class schedules between Environmental Science and Caribbean Studies.

“… I had to go back and forth between classes, and it happened to be that I didn’t go to half of my Caribbean studies class in year two, so I had to do a lot of work on my own,” she recounted. Despite transitions in lecturers, as some left for other opportunities, Edwards succeeded in obtaining the Most Outstanding award in Environmental Science upon graduation.

Recognising the distractions inherent in the collegiate environment, Edwards acknowledged a tendency to procrastinate at times; however, what ultimately mattered to her was the attainment of a scholarship.

“Might as well put in the work for those two years and get something that’s worthwhile. I wasn’t going towards the Prime Minister’s Award. It happened to be that I got through with it,” said the scholar who was actively engaged in other character building activities at College.

Edwards thanks God for all her success and everything she has right now, “because everything that you have in life comes from the Lord.”

She is interested in the field of medicine, and is currently weighing her university options regionally and internationally.