Photo Caption: Sandra Jones (left), Manager, Public Sector Engagement, JN Bank, congratulates Nyalia Cookkorne (second right) and Treshanna Thompson (right) on their outstanding academic performance.  The occasion was the graduation ceremony for 13 adolescent mothers at the Women’s Centre of Jamaica in St Andrew on July 2. Sharing in the special moment are Marlene Murray-Brown, Acting Centre Manager and Counsellor, WCJF; and Novlette Howell, Executive Director, WCJF.

‘Be an Inspiration to Others’

Thirteen adolescent mothers, who completed their studies at the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation in St Andrew, were encouraged to pursue their dreams with confidence during a graduation service held at the institution on July 2.

Held under the theme, ‘Empowered for Success, Soaring for Greatness’, Shantel McLean-Ford, the 2024–25 Nurse of Excellence at The University Hospital of the West Indies, who delivered the keynote address, urged the graduates to rise above their challenges and embrace the opportunities ahead.

“Walk out there with your head held high not because the road ahead will be easy, but because you are ready to face it. You have survived, you have succeeded, and you are just getting started. Be the reason someone else believes that they can do it, because when one of you rises all of us rise,” she said.

“Empowerment is when you choose to speak life over yourself even when others [cast] doubt on you. You are not broken, you are not behind, you are becoming today. Tomorrow you could be a business owner, you could be a nurse like me, you could be a teacher, or you could even wear a crown. Don’t let anyone define your future, but you.”

Sandra Jones (left), Manager, Public Sector Engagement, JN Bank; Marlene Murray-Brown (centre), Acting Centre Manager and Counsellor, Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation (WCJF); and Novlette Howell, Executive Director, WCJF, share a light discussion. The occasion was the graduation ceremony at the WCJF in St Andrew on July 2 for 13 adolescent mothers. Mrs Jones brought greetings on behalf of JN Bank at the event.

Mrs McLean-Ford, herself a former adolescent mother and past student of the Women’s Centre, is now in the final stages of completing a year-long support programme she spearheaded to help teenage mothers realise their full potential, as part of her JN Bank-sponsored Nurse of Excellence Award.

World Bank gender data in 2021 showed that 33 out of every 1,000 girls aged 15 to 19 in Jamaica gave birth.

The registered nurse and midwife, who is also the 2017 Kingston and St Andrew Farm Queen, related that after discovering that she was pregnant at 15, and having to deal with the stigma and disappointment that she and her family faced, she was determined to make a difference.

“Deep down, I knew one thing, my story wasn’t finished, but as a teenaged mother, my story was about to begin,” she related.

She pointed out that there were times she doubted herself and felt like giving up, especially when others believed she wouldn’t succeed. But she drew strength and inspiration from her son.

“I kept going because success isn’t always talent, it is about courage, it’s about persistence, it’s about showing up again and again.”

She encouraged the graduates to, whenever they are faced with challenges, to remember the reason they started the programme.

“Whenever doubt comes upon you, look in the mirror and tell yourself, ‘I am strong, I am magnificent, I can do what I say I will do,’ and whenever fear creeps inside, remember success is not final, failure is not fatal, but it is the courage to continue that counts.”

Sandra Jones, Manager, Public Sector Engagement, JN Bank, commended the graduates for their determination to make a new start, while highlighting the societal attitudes that often challenge young women.

Shantel McLean-Ford (second right), the 2024–25 Nurse of Excellence at The University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), presents a trophy to Treshanna Thompson, Overall Top Achiever, Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation (WCJF). The occasion was the graduation ceremony for 13 adolescent mothers at the WCJF in St Andrew on July 2. Sharing in the special moment are, from left, Judy-Ann Alexander, Director of Nursing, UHWI; Charmaine McKenzie, Acting Director, Field Operations, WCJF; and Sandra Jones, Manager, Public Sector Engagement, JN Bank.

“We live in a society that, despite its many positives, can sometimes be ungracious, especially to our women and girls. Sometimes, as a society, we are unappreciative of the very humanity that we are all made of and shaped by. Your achievement is testament that, as humans, we can rise above any circumstance and use them as launching pads to blast off into the stratosphere, where not the world, but the entire universe is ours to conquer,” she said.

“I’ve observed it in my own personal and professional life, examples of young women, like you, who have, gracefully, but through perseverance, climbed the corporate and social ladder despite the challenges they have faced.”

The banker acknowledged that it takes courage to rise above stigma and adversity and underscored the importance of ongoing support from institutions and the wider community to assist young mothers with building bright futures.

She highlighted the role of the JN Circle network, a community-based advocacy network of JN Group members and customers, which has been instrumental in supporting the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation. Notably, the Port Antonio Chapter which established a computer lab at the Centre’s location in Portland, while the Junction Chapter furnished the facility in St Elizabeth.

“At JN Bank, we believe very strongly in agency, and by that, I mean the empowerment of every Jamaican who interacts with us, directly or indirectly. We take seriously our mantra, that ‘We will help you find a way,’ so that you can stand on your own two feet and carry on completing whatever the journey you have set your mind to. How we help is not always simply through a bank account or car loan or mortgage, it’s through simple efforts like this one, which cascade and snowball into amazing success stories like yours,” she added.