Frederick Smith Secondary School hosts awards

Students of the Frederick Smith Secondary School received a comforting and encouraging word from one of their own.

A national spotlight was placed on the St. James school in recent weeks following the stabbing death of 16-year old Tremario Holder by another student while on its compound. But in her feature address last Friday during the school’s Independence Awards ceremony, old scholar and paralegal Keisha Worrell told her young audience that despite the comments they may have to face about their school from some members of the public, to remember the positive achievements of former and current students over the educational institution’s four decades of existence.

She used the examples of 2012 Olympian Shane Brathwaite, West Indies Cricketers Pedro Collins, Fidel Edwards and Deandra Dottin, well-known star athlete Tanya Oxley and Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs Neil Rowe and urged the current crop to build on these accomplishments and to aim for even higher.

“There are many more students who left this school and did well for themselves in tourism and hospitality, construction, entertainment, the medical and pharmaceutical industry, insurance, retail, the legal profession and the list goes on,” she noted.

Worrell insisted that education was still the number one mechanism through which upward social mobility could be achieved and noted the opportunity of being provided with free tertiary education was one opportunity which should not be squandered.

Several students received awards including Jalani Agard, Gineva Alleyne, Jada Amor-Gittens, Elecia Bowman, Ashanti Boyce, Shaunje, Lashley, Abdul M’hammed, Diamond Phillips, Zion Roach and Jamol Williams, while Antonio Seale was received a special award as the Most Outstanding Cadet.

“Awardees do not stop here, further your studies and sharpen your skills because knowledge widens your transition into success and having better luck,” she said. (JMB)