y name is Locksly Wallace. I am an eighteen year old and recently completed upper six at Kingston College. I presently reside in Central Village in an extended family system, where I am placed seventh of eight children for my mother. I attended the White Marl Primary and Junior High School located in the community, where I pass the GSAT examination and was fortunate to win a place at the school of my first choice, Kingston College.
As my family pondered how they would be able to finance my school expenses to Kingston College, I was pleasantly surprised when Farrel Walsh (KC Old Boy) came to my house and showed me the Gleaner publishing my name as a recipient of the Scotia Bank Foundation Scholarship which would fully cover all my school expenses. At that tender age, I realized that nothing in life is given to you, but that one has to work for whatever they want. I have never stopped working as I know my mother could not afford my schooling all by herself; and so I had to do my part.
Growing up in the community of Central Village - rippled with crime and violence, there was something positive to take from all the negatives. All this negativity only serves to motivate me to work hard and to achieve excellence so I can uplift myself, that one day I would be able to mobilize myself and my family from this fate of poverty through education.
The past seven years I spent attending Kingston College have been a life changing experience. Kingston College has helped me realized my dream and taught me that life circumstances should not and would not limit the extent of my achievement. Based on my success coming out of the GSAT Examination I saw the need to continue on the path of excellence and so started to motivate myself very early on. I was the recipient of several prizes and recognition from as early as grade seven through to grade twelve, and awaiting the announce for a prize at grade thirteen.. Again I was very happy when the Caribbean Examination Council exams results were published and I received ten “ones” in: Mathematics, English Language, English Literature, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geography, Social Studies, Information Technology and French.
Although I am from a poor and impoverished family and an underprivileged community my family gave me all the support I needed to excelled. Even my community supported me indirectly due to the fact that I was going to a traditional high school. I was looked up to by many in my community.
Now that I am leaving Kingston College again, I feel blessed and supported as I was selected to go to Michigan in 2008 to experience North America and to study for the Summer in the Academically Interested Minority (AIM) Pre College Programme, jointly sponsored by Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) and Kettering University.
I placed second among the overall cohort and was later awarded a full tuition scholarship to study for my B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering.
I will depart for Michigan on July 8th, 2009 to commence studies on July 9th. I do not think that my good fortune happened by chance or good luck, but was made possible through diligence, determination and discipline, definitely hard work and commitment.
My seven years at Kingston College have led me to realize that where I am coming from does not determine where I am going, and that I am the one who determines where I am going and there is no excuse for not achieving.
Ultimately, my dream is to become a neurosurgeon, still I am very happy to have received the help and support necessary to carry me thus far. So I must take time out to thank so many people that gave me a lot of love and support. First I would like to thank my parents Miss. Cynthia Edwards and Locksly Wallace, Sr. and extended family and especially my sister Josephine Spencer, who caringly took me under her wings and saw to my achievement. To my teachers at White Marl Primary and Junior High, I say a big thank you.
To my new found family at Kingston College, I am now an Old Boy so I will be with you always and thank you ever so much for all your love and lessons. To Kingston College Old Boys Association, Scotia Bank Foundation, JPS, and Kettering University, thanks a million for your unwavering financial and compassionate support from the start to my now tertiary experience. I promise to keep you updated as I progress on into the future.
