Weighing just 5lbs 2oz, Ashanti Roache was birthed into the world on Wednesday, June 5, 2002 at the Noel Holmes Hospital in Lucea, Hanover. From a very young age, Ashanti displayed great maturity, was quite outspoken and had a deep desire for learning. At the age of two; she started her academic journey at the Dalmally Basic School and in 2008, she started attending the Middlesex Corner Primary School where she spent six (6) academic years. Whilst at the institution, Ashanti was placed in the top three of her class from grades 1-3 and was top of her class from grades 4-6. Ashanti also served as Head Girl, Class Monitor, and Peer Counselor President and participated in most of the school’s clubs activities as she knew she had a lot to offer and so did not limit herself to one thing. After sitting the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) in the year 2014, Ashanti was placed at her first choice, our dear Manning’s School where she spent seven (7) years including having the privilege of doing the two year sixth form program.
Like a star, Ashanti’s light shone brightly throughout her years at Manning’s School both academically and through her involvement in numerous extracurricular activities. One would have thought that the catastrophic loss of her father who was brutally murdered in 2016 would have dimmed her light a little and hindered her progress but instead, she used this as her biggest motivation to seek a better life for herself and her family and she knew she could accomplish this through education. Thus, in spite of this dreadful experience, Ashanti held herself together and continued in her quiet but usual hard working manner to be a top student in her class.
Ashanti’s academic prowess was demonstrated in her being awarded a plethora of prizes at the school’s annual prize giving ceremonies as she has been a prize winner her entire duration at Manning’s School. Ashanti has won first and second place prizes including winning first place in her class from third through to sixth form. In addition, she has collected numerous subject prizes. Ashanti possesses a grand total of 12 CSEC subjects (8 ones and 4 twos) and further maintained this performance in her CAPE sittings by achieving distinctions and credits in most of her subjects. In addition, she received a national placing in Sociology and in Literatures in English (Unit 2).
As a young lady who strongly believes in volunteerism and being a Good Samaritan, her time at Manning’s involved her being actively involved in clubs and societies and also holding senior executive positions in them. Her list of involvements includes being the school’s Head Girl (2020-2021), President of the Girl Guides Association and Inter-School Christian Fellowship (ISCF) club, First Vice President of the Peer Counseling Society, PRO of the Manning’s Chorale, and Secretary of the Spanish Club as well as a member of the Tourism Action Club. She was awarded for her service in Girl Guides, Ranger Guides and ISCF. She also had the privilege of serving as Regional Vice President (Region 4) of the Jamaica Prefects’ Association.
Being the first of her immediate family to finish high school – poverty being the prime roadblock to her family’s academic pursuits – Ashanti deems it her responsibility to do her very best in building a foundation and setting a legacy for her younger siblings and future generations to come. She has never allowed the hardships she faced to triumph over her as she kept saying to herself that she has survived everything she has gone through to this point and she knows that the best of her days are yet to come. Therefore, she is always determined to rise above the adversities as she believes that where there is no struggle, there is no strength.
Ashanti is desirous of pursuing a degree in the field of Social Work as this has been a lifelong passion stemming from an observation of societal struggles and the far reaching effects on citizens. This is a plight she has personally experienced and wishes to make a difference. Therefore, she desires to be amongst those making the changes she wants to see: people’s lives being improved in any and every aspect possible.
Words alone cannot express how truly grateful she is to have been selected as one of the recipients of the Josephine Lilly Wolf Memorial Scholarship and so, she will ensure that whatever she does is a symbol of that gratitude. She will always aim to uphold the mission and vision of the foundation as this scholarship has done much more than providing her with the funds needed to accomplish her career dreams and goals. It has paved the way for her to be a street light to guide the path of those walking in darkness, hindered by the vicious cycle of poverty as she not only aims to better the lives of her family, but everyone living in the society. Surely, she can do all things through Christ who strengthens her.
