GoodHeart | Nari Williams-Singh marks aviation milestone with school giveback

Aviation veteran Nari Williams-Singh marked 42 years in the aviation industry by donating $500,000 to New Forest High School’s Eva May-Wright Auditorium project during the third staging of the Spring Soirée for Education, held May 14 at the chairman’s residence in Kingston. Williams-Singh said his decision to tie the donation to his aviation milestone reflects his desire to extend the opportunities education gave him. 

After attending Vaz Preparatory and Calabar High School, he began his aviation career in Canada in 1984 and later rose to leadership roles in civil aviation administration internationally.

“Aviation has provided me with opportunities through education, mentorship and discipline, and I have always believed that such opportunities should be available to all young people everywhere, and even more so in rural communities,” he said, “Education changes lives.”

The donation brings the total raised for the school’s auditorium to approximately $7.2 million, with $3 million secured at this year’s event, according to school officials. The funds are earmarked for the construction of a multi-purpose facility that will serve both the 10-year-old Manchester-based school and six surrounding farming communities.
 “For all my life, I have been surrounded by a culture of giving back,” Williams-Singh said. “I see the impact that these events and fundraisers have on the school and the wider surrounding community. I believe that others recognise this as well, as we see more people coming on board each successive year, and it gets better and better.”

He added that he hopes to see “some of the next generation of aviation professionals coming out of New Forest High School” in the next two decades.

His commitment to education and service is echoed in how his wife, Board Chairman Trisha Williams-Singh, describes him personally.

“As a wife, it feels very good and makes me extra happy, as these were the qualities I saw in him and why I fell in love with him,” she told GoodHeart. “I wanted an intellect as a husband, but one who cares and is willing to give back. I got that and more. He is also super humble, which makes me extra proud to be his wife.”

Trisha also reflected on the broader impact of the Spring Soirée for Education and the community support behind it.

“It has become a calendar item that persons look forward to both supporting and attending,” she said, adding, “The need for an auditorium, I believe, is the real motivator to patrons returning year after year [as well as] the performances of the children.”

The event also featured produce from the school’s farm and meals prepared by Chef Orren Bartley of Alligator Pond, Manchester.

Principal Arnaldo Allen said the evolution of the fundraiser reflects the school’s growth since it was upgraded to a high school in 2015, noting that the planned auditorium will be transformative for both the institution and the surrounding communities

The facility is also expected to support indoor sporting activities, including netball, basketball, tennis and badminton, further broadening extra-curricular opportunities available to students.

Additionally, the event saw continued support from past student Radcliffe Kirlew, who donated $500,000 last year and $750,000 this year.

“Donating to my alma mater derives from a strong desire to help others have even greater opportunities than I had,” Kirlew said. “My high school Spanish teacher, Mrs Lyle, sparked my first interest in Spanish and helped me to hone my talent in this language, which I am currently fluent [in].”

He urged other alumni to contribute, saying, “Support is not just about money but investing in opportunities and experiences that helped to shape us. Every contribution, no matter the amount, can make a very meaningful difference.”

Williams-Singh said he hopes that the project inspires students to “dream big” and eventually give back in the future.

“Schools like New Forest are filled with talented young people. We need to ensure they are supported, have the necessary resources, and are given opportunities to thrive,” he said. “I would say to all not to look at supporting schools simply as charity, but rather as an investment in Jamaica’s future.”

goodheart@gleanerjm.com