A new charity, aimed at supporting students pursuing higher education, will be officially launched next month at a benefit gospel concert in Lyssons, St. Thomas.
The initiative, dubbed ‘The Open Door University Scholarship’, is being spearheaded by Moyston’s Life Changing Powerhouse, in association with the Church of God in Christ Lyssons, and is designed to provide financial assistance to students seeking to access university education.
Co-founder of Moyston’s Life Changing Powerhouse, Melaine Moyston, told JIS News that it was born out of a desire to address financial challenges faced by many students.
“We saw a problem and we were looking at how we could solve this problem,” she stated, while adding that she was further motivated by personal experience as both a beneficiary and scholarship administrator.
Applications for the scholarship will open in June, with the initiative aiming to support at least three students in its first year.
First-year applicants will be required to submit an acceptance letter from their prospective university along with at least five passes at the CXC and CAPE levels, while returning students must have a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.8 or higher.
Mrs. Moyston explained that applicants must demonstrate financial need, have ties to the church community in Lyssons or surrounding areas, and will be required to undergo an interview process.
She added that a scoring system that also considers involvement in extracurricular activities will be used to assess candidates.
The concert is scheduled for Friday, May 29 at Lyssons Primary School and will feature a strong line-up of gospel artistes, including Carey Sayles and Mykal Malachi.
Meanwhile, associate pastor at the Lyssons Church of God in Christ and Co-founder of Moyston’s Life Changing Powerhouse, Kenroy Moyston, said it is for a worthy cause.
“This is a great venture and as much as you can support a student, you may not be able to give them $50,000 but by purchasing a ticket, by being there, you’re able to do so,” he said.
Admission to the concert is $3,000, with a reduced cost of $1,000 for children under 12. Tickets are available at Lloyds Pharmacy in Morant Bay.
