Hard work pays off for reading enthusiast

With an insatiable appetite for reading, 12-year-old Deandré Fowler, a first-form student at Hampton School in St Elizabeth, would spend her holidays at the parish library in Black River, immersing herself in books, particularly mysteries, that ignite her imagination.

“She’s always reading,” said Jeneive Weathers, Deandré’s grade-six teacher at Black River Primary and Infant School.

“She read all the books in her class and would go to the other classes, borrow the books from the teachers and read them,” she related, adding that Deandré would lament that the children were not reading the books.

Deandré’s stepfather, Maurice Mullings, a fixed asset officer at Black River Hospital and an avid reader himself, shared that he and Deandré’s mother were intentional about nurturing her love for books from an early age.

“I’ve always encouraged her to read. She always sees me reading. I’ve always told her that being well-read will help her in every aspect of life. There’s this 10-book series that I’m trying to get her to read by Steve Erickson. Each book is around 1000 pages. I’ve gone as far as getting apps on her phone where I can download ebooks for her to read,” he said.

“She has been with me since she was two years old and she has really been exceptionally bright. She was reading long before her peers. Her mother did a lot of work where that is concerned. She had to be held back in grades because of her age.”

Mr Mullings is confident that Deandré’s commitment to reading laid the foundation for her academic success. That dedication bore fruit when she emerged as the overall top student in the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) at her former school, achieving a placement score of 382.7. Her outstanding performance earned her a five-year scholarship from the JN Foundation and she was named the 2025 JN Foundation Parish Scholar for St Elizabeth.

Deandré is pleased that her hard work has been paid off with a scholarship award. She recalled that she was talking with a friend on the phone when her mother broke the news to her. She was initially in disbelief.

“I kept asking her, ‘are you sure?’ and I hugged her and started jumping. I was very happy,” she said adding that she immediately called her stepfather to relay the good news.

A total of 37 students were awarded five-year scholarships by the JN Foundation. Fourteen recipients are parish scholars; three, JN Bank Easi-Save County scholars; and, 20 are children of JN Group employees who gained the Building Excellence and Achieving More Success (BEAMS) scholarship for attaining a placement score of at least 320. An additional 10 students were presented with one-time grants by JN Money Services.

MOTHER’S EXCITEMENT

Deandré’s mother, Dacia Foskin, a cashier supervisor at Intown Supercentre in Black River, was at work when she received the email advising her of the scholarship award. Overwhelmed with joy, she could not contain her excitement.

“I just lost myself, for I was so happy. I started running up and down and screaming. I was so excited,” she recalled, adding that given Deandré’s stellar PEP performance, she had been hopeful a scholarship would come her way.

The scholarship award was no surprise to Deandré’s grade-six teacher, who encouraged Deandré’s mother to apply for scholarships.

“I know she would have gotten it. Deandré was an excellent student. She doesn’t work on any haste. She takes her time and makes sure that her answers are OK. When she comes to me, everything is OK and there’s no correction. She was one of the best students that I have ever had,” said Ms Weathers.

Deandré related that she prepared for PEP by attending extra classes at school Mondays to Thursdays and for four hours on Saturdays. She always ensured that homework is done, she read over her notes and sought help from her teacher when she didn’t understand something. She also practised with worksheets she accessed online and went through past papers.

Now settled into her new school, Deandré has adjusted with ease and is already looking forward to exploring new opportunities beyond the classroom. She is eager to join several clubs, including Key Club and the Journalism Club, while also considering activities such as chess, photography, and even crochet.

She provides advice to other children preparing for PEP so they can achieve similar success as her.

“Set goals. Never be discouraged and try your best to achieve those goals,” she said.

A middle child, Deandré has two sisters. She is indecisive about her career path but is leaning towards become a doctor.

Since the inception of the JN Scholarship Programme in 1983, close to 1,000 students have benefited from financial assistance to pursue their secondary education.