UWI Toronto gala scholarship helps Jamaican complete university education

May 15, 2020

Had Mouyton May thrown in the towel in pursuit of higher education, very few would have faulted him given the multitude of hurdles he faced.

Not knowing his parents and without a regular home for most of his life, it’s almost a miracle that he’s graduating this year from the University of the West Indies (UWI) with a Bachelor of Applied Science degree.

Marine Biology and Computer Science are his major and minor respectively.

On the verge of not returning for his final year because of a lack of funds, May was cast a lifeline.

He was the recipient of a UWI Toronto Gala $3,000 scholarship in 2019.

“I had bills to be paid and I was barely getting by,” May recalled. “A friend who I owed money threatened to go to the police if I didn’t repay her right away although I tried to assure her I was doing all I can to get her money. I was just barely getting by and I was really down. I am so appreciative of that scholarship because it took me out of a hole. I am not out of the woods, but it allowed me to go back to university and focus on my school work.”

Most times, good things happen those who persevere in the face of myriad obstacles.

With graduation approaching and May obviously seeking employment, GraceKennedy Foundation Executive Director Caroline Mahfood sent his resume to Dr. Parris Lyew-Ayee Jr. who is the Director of the Mona GeoInformatics Institute at UWI.

Very impressed with the young man during the interview that lasted over an hour, Lyew-Ayee hired May as a Project Officer. The young man didn’t know at the time that his new boss is a nephew of the late Ray Chang who teamed up with his wife, Donnette Chin-Loy Chang, to be the patrons of the annual Toronto fundraising gala that has raised $1.5 million for 550 students attending UWI in the last decade.

Mahfood met May about four years ago when he was seeking financial aid to return to university after failing to complete the first year in 2012.

“He was visiting my church and the Minister told me about his circumstances at the university,” she said. “I decided that he had to get help even though part of the problem was that he was de-registered because he didn’t have the tuition fees.”

GraceKennedy Foundation provided May with a Jam$150,000 grant to help him return to UWI.

“I am very excited for Mouyton,” Mahfood said. “He had no other support and needed to finish university. Once not de-registered and he had the opportunity to focus, he did very well. We went through a lot of details regarding his grades because I was concerned, but we talked it through and it was obvious that he was determined to go the distance. He could have quit a long time ago, but he refused to.”

May is also benefitting from the Foundation’s food bank at UWI for students who are in dire need of groceries.

Mouyton May with GraceKennedy Foundation Education Committee Chair Dr. Carol Gentles

To say that life hasn’t been easy for the 31-year-old is putting it mildly.

Constantly tossed curveballs, May had just two things going for him – a strong desire to be educated and his faith in God.

Abandoned by his mother at a very young age, he lived for short periods with relatives, friends and strangers.

Left on a bench outside the Kingston & St. Andrew Family Court at age 10 with instructions not to tell anyone who dropped him off, May ended up at Walker’s Place of Safety that supports orphans, abandoned and mentally challenged children.

Nearly 18 months later, he enrolled in Alpha Boys School that provides educational and vocation training for inner city unattached youths. It was the first time that he was in a structured school system since attending basic school briefly in Maxfield Park.

With nowhere to live, May found refuge at St. Augustine Place of Safety for boys between the ages of five and 18 and employment at a patty shop after completing his training at Alpha.

“I remember the Director of Alpha coming to the patty shop one day and asking what I was doing there when he saw me,” he said. “I told him I was just trying to earn some money to survive and he pointed out that I am a smart person and I needed to get back into school.”

May acted.

He signed up with the National Youth Service that helps young people develop marketable skills and, after six weeks training, was placed at Mandeville Police Station and given a stipend.

“I spent about six months there in the Traffic department preparing incident reports and writing tickets to send to the court office,” recounted May. “I also worked in the Immigration Department before acquiring a sales job where I was given a commission. I was doing that and taking classes in the evening to prepare for CXC (Caribbean Examination Council) exams, but the money I was getting wasn’t enough to sustain myself.”

Determined to elevate himself, May enrolled in St. Michael’s Institute in Mandeville for evening classes. To pay for his accommodation at the institute where he slept at night, he cleaned the building and took care of the Principal and his wife’s children occasionally.

“I like children, so that wasn’t a problem,” he said. “It was an opportunity to complete my CXC’s and I was grateful for it.”

With an Associate degree in hand from Knox Community College and eligible to enter a university’s Natural Science program, May enrolled at UWI.

“That first year was a real struggle,” he pointed out. “Things just didn’t work out and I had to quit and find a job to make ends meet.”

Though working and volunteering for almost four years, May yearned to finish his undergraduate degree. He just needed some assistance that emerged when he met Mahfood at her church.

“I remember her saying she’s taking a chance on me and I promised not to disappoint her,” he said.

A few of May’s university lecturers have encouraged him to pursue graduate studies and consider becoming a professor.

“That’s very nice of them, but I have always had my sights set on becoming a medical doctor,” the certified open water scuba diver said. “I spent a lot of time in hospitals for asthma and I saw so many people needing help. I am a compassionate person and I relish caring for people.”

With all the barriers May has overcome, few will bet on him not achieving his ultimate professional goal once he finds a way to secure funding to attend medical school.