By Kenicia Francis
Two Antiguans have spoken of their joy at being awarded prestigious Chevening scholarships to pursue fully funded master’s degree programmes in the UK.
Latisha Browne and Annetta D Jackson shared their reaction with Dr Jacqui Quinn on the Observer AM show.
Browne, a police officer and forensics technician, will study forensic investigation at Cranfield University in Bedford, and hopes to become Antigua and Barbuda’s first female ballistics expert.
She recounted bursting into tears upon receiving the good news.
“I was actually at cricket volunteering when I got that email. I actually burst out in tears because during the whole placement of the scholarship, my anxiety was at an all-time high.
“I would check my emails almost every 30 minutes. It was basically an elated feeling for me because coming from the St Johnson’s Village community, being the second scholar, Marlon Rollins was the first scholar from the community, I get to show the youth that anything you put your mind to you can do. It’s also not only a win for me but also for my mom,” she said.
Jackson, a Crown counsel, who will pursue studies in gender, policy, and inequalities at the London School of Economics, and who had previously applied for the scholarship, expressed gratitude for her mother’s encouragement and the support of loved ones.
“It was a lot of emotion because I applied previously and was successful in the interview but was told that I was a reserved candidate. That hit me in my stomach, but my mom pushed me to apply again.
“She said if you can breeze through those essays, and sit in that interview and they were so impressed to even consider you as a reserved candidate, you can go again and get all the way to the end,” she recalled.
“The email hit me when I was in Switzerland in June. I was representing Antigua at the Human Rights Council. In that session I got a ping and it said congratulations. I went to the bathroom and held my chest and cried.
“It was such an overwhelming feeling. Somebody told me last year, a pause was needed. That year of growth and reflection and a lot of encouragement really held me. I’m just grateful to have gotten to this point and it’s really a testament to the investment and care that my family, co-workers and friends have put in there.”
Both individuals demonstrated leadership potential and a commitment to making a positive impact in their fields, aligning with the Chevening scholarships’ mission to support exceptional individuals.
