My Resilient Scholars

As the program director in Jamaica, I spend a lot of time praying for the scholars in my program. As I’ve been praying, the word resilience has been echoing in my head for months. Looking at the definition, resilience means “the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties, toughness.”

As I work with our scholars, I continue to see them epitomize that word. There are so many stories I could share, but here are two examples of scholars whose resiliency has touched my heart.

Cassem was raised by a single mother after his father was killed. He recently lost an aunt too, due to violence. Despite the grief and their difficulties and challenges, Cassem’s mother – a woman of faith – wanted to ensure that Cassem went to school and received an education. With your help, Cassem is able to do just that. He started at a teachers’ college in September and is pursuing a B.Ed., specializing in guidance and counseling. Cassem also serves as President of the IntSam Jamaica Youth Leadership Team. 

Cassem’s dedication to his studies and his excellent leadership skills have continued to impress me. He organized our IntSam Global 5K event last year, and he is in the process of organizing it for this year!

Another resilient scholar is Ciara. She is an orphan. Her grandmother was selling juices to try to pay for Ciara’s school fees before she entered our scholarship program a few years ago.

Recently, Ciara’s grandmother passed away as she prepared to take her Caribbean examinations (CSEC). Despite the grief, she pushed ahead, with the support of the IntSam Jamaica team and her extended family. She passed all nine subjects and graduated from high school. With your help, she is pursuing a business degree at a local university.

Over the years, Ciara has been working to overcome her shyness. Now, despite her losses, I see a brilliant, confident young woman.

This is why I do what I do every day. This is why holistic scholarships are important. Through these scholarships, we are able to support resilient young people, like Cassem and Ciara, as they find their purpose and succeed despite very real and challenging circumstances.

They are my inspiration. 

The IntSam Global 5K Starts Today!

You can support a holistic scholarship for a resilient student by participating in the IntSam Global 5K.

So far, the IntSam Global 5K has raised enough to fund 15 scholarships for a year, but our goal is to fund 50! You can support that mission by signing up to run or by donating today.

Sonja M. Robinson, Program Director

Sonja holds a Ph.D. in Workforce Development and Education from Pennsylvania State University and a Master’s in Communication for Social and Behavior Change from the University of the West Indies. She has played the roles of counselor, mentor, trainer, and educator. Sonja believes in living a life of purpose and service.