As I ponder the 2nd quarter of 2020, the circumstances we are enduring throughout the world are severe. The Covid 19 pandemic has put a significant strain on people's lives and the racial tension that started here in Minneapolis and spilled over into the rest of the world has been astonishing. It seems that Covid is being managed and progress is being made to curb its impact. Hopefully, what happened in Minneapolis will bring about the necessary changes that we as a world have lacked for so many years.
Even with the difficulties the world has endured, the students the foundation supports have been coping very well. Saveenia Kelly, our first scholarship recipient, remains stuck outside of Jamaica awaiting final paperwork to return to home. She had been studying in Canada on a grant. We are hoping she gets to return to her home very soon. The other four students were sent home from their University when they shut down in person classes and switched to online study. It was a challenge at first, due to some minor mishaps, but have all been ironed out. They are back on track to be able to do finals around the end of July.
The foundation, after receiving great news in the 1st quarter about becoming a 501c3 organization, had to start figuring out what to do to raise funds for the students. The constraints due to the pandemic have hindered the availability of activities that are allowable in group settings. Fortunately, we rallied and have just launched our ticket sales for our 1st annual golf tournament! This not only helps us maintain the students that we are affording scholarships to, but also to add more students.
On June 18th, the scholarship committee conducted teleconference interviews with 14 very bright young minds, from the prestigious Manning’s High School. What a difficult day that was! This was the biggest and most balanced group of students that we have ever interviewed. Without a doubt every one of the students who applied was deserving of a scholarship. Unfortunately, we are not currently able to do that, so it makes the whole process heartbreaking. We went in knowing that we were giving out two scholarships, but through some hard work we secured help from an additional donor to be able to offer three scholarships this year! Look for their photos and biographies coming soon to the website.
So, as we head into the 3rd quarter, be on the lookout for our new students and make sure you get signed up for the golf outing. You do not have to golf to enjoy that day or support the foundation. There are dinner tickets and a silent auction with a wine pull at the golf club following the golfing. If you cannot make the event and still want to help the foundation on our mission, there is a donate button on our website. We could use all the support we can get! Hopefully, we can add more scholarships every year!
Thank you
Shayne Havens
JLWMSF President
Commentaires