A beacon of hope for St James, Hanover
Mount Alvernia alumnae Tiana Dinham names 2026 Rhodes Scholar
Published:Friday | November 14, 2025 | 12:08 AMKaren Madden/Gleaner Writer
The announcement came on a warm Thursday evening at King’s House in St Andrew. Beneath the high ceilings and the quiet anticipation of the gathered crowd, Governor General Sir Patrick Allen read the name that would carry both pride and hope to Jamaica’s western shores: Tiana Dinham – the 2026 Jamaica Rhodes Scholar.
“I am in disbelief,” she said, reacting to the news.
“I knew I was a finalist. I was here to interview for the scholarship, but there was also that slight moment where [I thought] maybe I won’t get it,” she told The Gleaner. “I can’t fully express the excitement, the joy I feel. I also know that my family will be elated for this accomplishment.”
For most, the Rhodes Scholarship is a dream painted in Oxford’s spires – a passport to one of the world’s most prestigious universities. Established in 1902 through the will of Cecil Rhodes, the scholarship seeks young leaders with outstanding intellect, character, leadership, and commitment to service. Each year, a select few from across the Commonwealth are chosen to study at the University of Oxford, joining a global community of thinkers and changemakers.
For Dinham, however, this moment was more than academic triumph. It was a spark of light in a season of darkness.
A little over two weeks before, Hurricane Melissa tore through western Jamaica, leaving communities in ruin. In St James, where Dinham had attended Mount Alvernia High School, and in Hanover, where she was raised, homes were swept away and families left without food, water, or shelter. Yet even amid devastation, she said her achievement carried the weight of shared resilience.
“I think we are looking forward to some good news because as you can imagine, this entire hurricane situation has brought a lot of devastation to a lot of people. They lost their homes, they don’t have food, they don’t have water. So even just a small thing of just winning the scholarship will bring joy to some people – like hope at the end of the tunnel,” the 22-year-old told The Gleaner shortly after the announcement.
“I think this win is another win for my entire high school community as well as my regular community that I live in in Maryland,” said Dinham, who is currently pursuing studies in geographical and earth sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
With the Rhodes Scholarship, she intends to pursue graduate studies in water science, policy and management or sustainability, enterprise and the environment.
When the announcement came, her first instinct was to call her mother. She shed tears as her mom shouted praises, telling her daughter how proud she was.
Dinham had known the competition would be fierce. She noted that the shortlisted goup of nine contenders were all exceptional, each with dreams as big as her own.
“The other eight finalists were amazing. Some of them will be friends I will keep going forward. We’ve built this bond over the course of this day, and it’s kind of sad that they haven’t gotten it as well, but I am super excited that the work I have done has got me this far and got me this recognition, and I look forward to using this scholarship to further the work I am doing in Jamaica.”