De La Rue Scholarship winner Justin Edwards plans to give back

VISHANNA PHAGOO

Scholarship winner Justin Edwards is hoping to repay his parents for putting him and his sister through school, even while they faced struggles to do so.

Edwards was one of two winners of the De La Rue Currency Scholarship done in collaboration with the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago.

Speaking to Newsday, Edwards said, “I would not be the man I am today without them. Any way I could pay them back because my mother and father, they don’t want us to pay them back because it’s something that they strived to do for their generation, to give us a step in life, but if I could, I would want to pay them back. Just to show them that their hard work and dedication did not go in vain, their children became something in life.”

He said when he and his sister, Jeandelle, were younger, their parents were not working the best jobs and in order to give them the best they pooled their money together to send them for private schooling for pre-school to standard five.

“We grew up, I wouldn’t say very hard since we always had something to eat, but we grew up in a sense that we didn’t always live together. I would have to go live with my uncle since they (my parents) weren’t working the best jobs at the time.”

The 28-year-old is currently pursuing his master’s degree in management studies with a specialisation on general management at the UWI, St Augustine campus. Edwards said he chose this since he’s seen the running around of his parents’ logistics company Sure Link Solutions Ltd. The company is managed by both parents and is based at their home in Cunupia.

“My mother and father, they are entrepreneurs, so they always inspired me to go after my dreams and be self-sufficient. I always wanted to go into the field of business, so that’s what I always pursued first of all. I started with a degree in agri business and entrepreneurship, I just thought it was natural to go into general management in order to further myself.”

Edwards described the scholarship as one that “helps to breathe fresh life into the Trinbagonian society.”

He said this is because the De La Rue Co Scholarship programme seeks to invest in people. The initiative began in 2003 and coming out the initiative were scholars who Edwards said can help TT propel to new heights in the global market. Twenty-six people have been awarded scholarships since the inception of the programme.

“This scholarship brings you into a family of previous scholars and gives you the ability to network with prominent individuals not only in TT’s society, but those regionally and internationally. Additionally, for me, this scholarship is a stepping stone that has given me the opportunity to leap over various obstacles. As it is no secret that TT’s society and economy has been affected negatively since the pandemic and families, similar to mine, have been forced to adjust mentally, physically, spiritually and financially.

This scholarship, which may be seen as minuscule in the eyes of the everyday person, has lifted major mental and financial burdens that would’ve been experienced by my family from me pursuing a higher education.”

Edwards described his application process for the scholarship as “not too nerve wrecking” despite being before a panel of interviewers. He said the awardees had to first write a three-to-five-page essay before being interviewed by members of the Central Bank, UWI and the De La Rue Co.

“I initially missed the first deadline, however, to my surprise the scholarship application deadline was extended and I only noticed this two days before it was due. I had little expectation but a voice inside of me told me to apply as you miss 100 per cent of the shots you don’t take. I truly poured myself into the essay explaining my somewhat hard upbringing and the difficult times that I conquered in order to be the person I am today.”

Edwards even had some advice and said in earlier stages in his life he always tried to play it safe to please those around him while forgetting himself in the process.

“I’ve failed and stumbled many times, but I never stopped believing in myself, as it is worth taking chances in life and putting yourself in uncomfortable situations because this helps to show you who you are as a person. I took a chance and signed up for a scholarship, which I didn’t think I would get and by the grace of God I was granted a spot as a De La Rue Currency Scholarship awardee. This scholarship has opened doors for me to meet a variety of wonderful individuals and it even relieved major burdens for my family.”

He added, “You are capable of great things and there is greatness inside of you just waiting to come out, no matter what others may think of you don’t let that become your reality. Push yourself every day to be better than you were the day before and never look at previous failures as losses, but as experiences that you can add to your repertoire.”