How Scholarship Students Are Finding Their Purpose Through Career Exploration

When I first met her, Natalya said she was dreaming of becoming a neurosurgeon. Shaquille told me that he’s known from an early age that he wanted to work in Information Technology.

Big Dreams, Uncharted Paths

When we first meet scholarship students, they often have ambitious goals but limited exposure to the professions and pathways available. One of my greatest privileges as program director is watching these journeys unfold over many years.

Scholars are encouraged to explore their interests, identify their strengths, and clarify their values through our Workforce Education Program, which helps them develop the confidence to make informed decisions about their futures.

Finding Their Motivations

Over time, Natalya discovered that what truly motivated her was understanding people, supporting their well-being, and helping them overcome life’s challenges. Today, she is pursuing a path toward becoming a psychologist—a career that reflects both her passion for helping others and a deeper understanding of who she is.

As Shaquille participated in career assessments, mentoring conversations, leadership activities, and career exploration workshops, his vision became more refined. He realized he didn’t simply want to work with technology; he wanted to use it to teach, inspire, and create opportunities for others.

Today, he is preparing for a career as an Information Technology teacher while also building his entrepreneurial ambitions. Rather than choosing between education and business, he is pursuing both—combining his technical knowledge with a desire to lead and innovate.

An Award-Winning Approach to Career Development

Our career development approach was recently recognized when International Samaritan Jamaica received the National Career Development Association’s (NCDA) Exemplary Career Center Award for Non-Profit Organizations. While we are honored by this recognition, our greatest achievement is watching scholars like Natalya and Shaquille grow into young adults who are making intentional decisions about their futures.

For those two scholars, neither abandoned a dream; instead, each refined it through greater self-awareness and informed exploration. That is the heart of the Workforce Education Program.

Preparing Scholars for Life 

We are not simply preparing scholars for employment. We are helping them understand themselves, discover their purpose, and build futures that are both meaningful and attainable.

Nearly 1,000 young people in Central America, the Caribbean, and East Africa are breaking out of poverty through education—and they’re doing it with support from people like you. These scholars are studying hard, pursuing their dreams, and transforming their families’ futures, one generation at a time.

But none of this is possible without monthly supporters who believe in their potential. Your donation directly funds their school fees and supplies, along with basic needs—giving them the chance to learn and rise above the circumstances of their birth.

Ready to walk alongside a scholar? Become a monthly supporter and watch the transformation unfold.

Want to see the impact up close? Learn, Serve, Grow trips connect your church or school group directly with scholars and their communities.

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.