For 24-year-old Jannel Muirhead, a third-year student at the University of Technology (UTech), her daily commute is a testament to her unwavering dedication – and here comes the NHT Construction Scholarships.
The Clarendon native faces the reality of navigating eight buses to and from the Papine, St Andrew campus. Despite the arduous journey, she remains steadfast in her pursuit of a bachelor of science degree in urban and regional planning.
The gruelling transportation routine is just one of the many obstacles she confronts on her path to securing her education. Growing up in the Muirhead household, where her mother works as a domestic helper and her father is a farmer, finances are often strained. However, Jannel’s ambition to develop innovative solutions for slum renovation, city expansion, and the modernisation of Jamaica’s transportation system fuels her drive to overcome these challenges.
“I want to be able to invest in the country’s infrastructure, and having a degree in urban and regional planning will equip me to do just that,” she stated.
Now, one significant hurdle has been cleared for Muirhead. Through the National Housing Trust (NHT), the dedicated UTech Student Ambassador has been awarded a scholarship to support the completion of her tertiary education. The NHT Construction Scholarship will provide Jannel with $1 million in funding for her undergraduate studies during the 2024/25 academic year.
Despite facing significant personal challenges, including the loss of her sister and her uncle – whom she credits as a key motivator – Jannel has persevered. Her uncle’s encouraging words to “get it done” constantly resonate with her.
“I am still in the process of discovering and understanding myself, growing into the woman I aspire to be: confident, classy, and strong,” she shared. “And I know I will achieve it because once I set my mind to something, I am determined to see it through.”
Muirhead was among ten deserving students selected for the prestigious scholarship from a competitive pool of over 200 applicants.
She recently had the opportunity to share her vision and goals with Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness, during a courtesy call on Tuesday, April 8.
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NHT Awards Construction Scholarships to Ten Promising Students
Ten students have been selected as recipients of the National Housing Trust’s (NHT) prestigious NHT Construction Scholarship. The recipients were chosen from a competitive pool of over 210 applicants.
The scholarship awardees paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister, the Most Honourable Dr. Andrew Holness, on Tuesday, April 8th. During the meeting, Prime Minister Holness expressed his satisfaction with the diverse fields of study represented by the group. These areas include Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Land Surveying, Urban and Regional Planning, and Geographic Information Sciences, all of which Dr. Holness emphasised as critical for the nation’s development and infrastructure needs.
“What the NHT is doing with this project is investing in you, the next generation of people who will build Jamaica,” the Prime Minister stated.
NHT Managing Director, Mr. Martin Miller, conveyed his pride in the selection of the students. He highlighted the importance of the NHT’s collaborations with various agencies in both the private and public sectors in facilitating the future integration of these talented individuals into their respective fields.
Following their meeting with the Prime Minister, the ten awardees attended a luncheon at the NHT’s head office, located at 4 Park Boulevard. This event provided a more intimate setting for the students to interact one-on-one with members of the NHT’s leadership team and staff.
One of the scholarship recipients, 19-year-old Sohnjaye Watson, a Bachelor of Engineering student in Civil Engineering, expressed his gratitude for the opportunity. Articulating his long-held ambition to contribute to improvements in Jamaica’s drainage systems and roadways, the University of Technology student stated, “If you want to be the product of the environment, then you must build a better environment.”
The NHT’s Construction Scholarship offers up to $1 million in funding to individual undergraduate students pursuing degrees in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Architecture, Urban Planning, or related fields at either the University of Technology or the University of the West Indies for the 2024/25 academic year.
The ten (10) recipients of the scholarships are:
• Damell Scott, 25, Civil Engineering, University of Technology
• Sohnjaye Watson, 19, Civil Engineering, University of Technology
• Xavier Wint, 21, Construction Management, University of Technology
• Jamal Denton, 21, Urban and Regional Planning, University of Technology
• Jannel Muirhead, 23, Urban and Regional Planning, University of Technology
• Analia Fonseca, 18, Urban and Regional Planning, University of Technology
• Kaydene Barrett, 23, Construction Management, University of Technology
• Okeil Francis, 23, Construction Management, University of Technology
• Tevin Hill, 21, Construction Management, University of Technology
• Victoria Menzie, 20, Land Surveying and Geographic and Information Sciences, University of Technology
Source: NHT Awards Construction Scholarships to Ten Promising Students as published o n the NHT website.
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