Caribbean News

Jamaican Medical student lauds PATH for scholarship

Published

9 years ago

October 31, 2017

#Jamaica, October 31, 2017 – Kingston – First-year medical student at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, Jinelle Henry, has lauded the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) for not only assisting her through the secondary years but also giving her a scholarship to help fund her Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree. Ms. Henry, 21 years old, is the eldest of five children for her mother, Latoya Williams, a vendor from South Hampton, St. Elizabeth.

In an interview with JIS News after she was awarded by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security during their 15^th Anniversary Scholarship Awards ceremony on October 27, Ms. Henry, who has been on PATH for years, said the scholarship she received has gone a far way in allowing her to officially begin on her path to becoming a medical doctor.

“PATH was really good, especially in high school, because I got lunch every day in grades 10 and 11. It was not anything to be ashamed of. Basically, scholarships sent me to school. In the summer before school opened, I used to walk and drop off letters seeking grants,” Ms. Henry, a graduate of Hampton School in Malvern, says.

“I’m really excited (about the scholarship), because if I never got it from PATH, then I wouldn’t be able to continue school. I feel good that my University school fee has been paid. I could not afford the $3.5million per year without the subsidy. I now pay approximately $624,000 per year with the subsidy from the Government,” she adds.

Becoming a medical doctor is not the career Ms. Henry initially wanted, but must pursue this course of studies given that she hopes to become one of Jamaica’s future forensic pathologists – professionals who determine the cause of death by the examination of corpses.

“I knew I wanted to become a forensic pathologist when I started volunteering at St. Ann’s Bay Hospital where my father, Barrington Henry, works as a porter, and at May Pen Hospital where my aunt works. My father said they were bringing people in to be pathologists, and I wanted to fill the gap. At first, I wanted to become a teacher, but since grade 10 when I began specialising, I started doing biology. I really liked the sciences, as they challenged me,” Ms. Henry notes.

Her dream of starting the MBBS was delayed last year, as she was not accepted for the programme.

“It works on a point system. I missed the subsidy by one point and I did not get in, so this is my second year of university, but first year of medicine. I was doing a pure and applied science degree as an alternative to transfer into medicine,” the determined and self-motivated student tells JIS News.

At the end of her first year at UWI, Mona, she achieved a grade point average (GPA) of 3.42, reapplied and was accepted. Ms. Henry says ever since she was a student at Mount Osbourne Primary School in St. Elizabeth, she knew she had to aspire for greatness to lead herself and her family out of poverty.

“I was a bookworm and still am. I always had my books, even on summer holidays. Life wasn’t easy. Because my mother had five of us, and I am the eldest, I had to help my mother with everything. It wasn’t easy, but I managed,” she says.

Ms. Henry also lauds her church family and Hampton School’s Old Girls’ Association for assisting her through the early years.

“I am a church person and I used to attend the Leeds Church of God in St. Elizabeth often. My church was very involved in my life,” she says.

In addition to PATH’s 15^th anniversary scholarship, Ms. Henry notes that she has been awarded grants from Hampton School’s Old Girls’ Association, a Peace and Love academic scholarship, and grants from the Portia Simpson Miller Foundation in 2016 and 2017. She says her next goal after becoming a medical doctor is to elevate her family from poverty, especially her mother.

“My mother has been the rock and supports me all the time,” Miss Henry tells JIS News.

PATH is an initiative of the Government, with support from donor partners, such as the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank and other multilateral and bilateral agencies. The programme is aimed at delivering benefits by way of cash grants to the poorest and most vulnerable persons in the society.

The programme is administrated by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, which has responsibility to provide policy direction, guidance and coordination to the programme. Networking is done through 13 parish offices.

The main objectives of PATH are to increase educational attainment and improve health outcomes of the poor by breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty; alleviate poverty by increasing the value of transfer to the poor; reduce child labour by requiring children to have minimum attendance in school, and serve as a safety net by preventing families from falling further into poverty in the event of adverse shock. As at June 2017, 70.62 per cent of registered PATH beneficiaries were children up to 18 years.

In celebration of its 15^th year of service to the people of Jamaica, PATH has offered tertiary scholarships valued at $15 million to beneficiaries pursuing bachelor’s degrees in accredited institutions, to assist in covering the cost of their tuition and books.

The scholarships were made available to PATH beneficiaries who had been recipients for at least the last three years of secondary school, had attained grade-one passes in at least eight Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) subjects, including Mathematics and English Language, and had either received a letter of acceptance to commence their courses of study in September 2017 or were already pursuing their studies and had a GPA of at least 2.5 during the last academic year.

Seventeen beneficiaries pursuing bachelor’s degrees in law, medicine, actuarial science, engineering, chemistry, plant biology and psychology received scholarships. The funds will be disbursed over a period of up to three years, with the condition of the recipients maintaining a GPA of at least 2.5.

By: Ainsworth Morris (JIS)

Caribbean News

The $3 Billion Handshake

Published

3 weeks ago

September 28, 2026

Deandrea Hamilton

By Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

September 28, 2026 – Wall Street initially flinched at the $3-billion handshake. But in a matter of days, it was smoother sailing.

Perhaps the bigger Caribbean business story is not what Sandals Resorts International is getting from the deal. It is who is writing the cheque — and what that says about what Gordon “Butch” Stewart built.

As reports of Royal Caribbean Group’s Sandals deal circulated Tuesday, RCL shares plunged 6.14 percent from Monday’s $250.25 close to $234.89, on sharply elevated trading.

When the agreement became official Wednesday — approximately $3 billion for a 50 percent equity interest in Sandals and Beaches Resorts — shares slipped another 1.95 percent to $230.30 and touched $222.22 intraday. Investors were digesting both the size of the investment and committed debt financing secured through Morgan Stanley.

But by Thursday, RCL rebounded 3.77 percent, with shares continuing their recovery Friday to finish the week around $243. Analysts were also looking ahead: JPMorgan reportedly raised its RCL price target from $345 to $394, while Citi placed the company on a 90-day positive catalyst watch.

And just who is RCL?

Royal Caribbean Group is a global vacation giant, publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange with a market value of roughly $65 billion. Its portfolio includes Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea, alongside private destinations and an expanding vacation platform.

So when a company of that scale commits $3 billion for only half of Sandals and Beaches Resorts, the transaction puts a striking financial marker on one of the Caribbean’s greatest home-grown hospitality success stories.

The deal, expected to close in early 2027, creates a 50-50 partnership with the Stewart family and takes Royal Caribbean deeper into the all-inclusive resort business.

Butch Stewart started Sandals in Jamaica in 1981 believing a Caribbean company could compete with the world’s best.

Forty-five years later, one of the world’s biggest vacation companies is prepared to pay $3 billion just to own half of what he built.

Now that’s the handshake that does more than seal a deal — it cements a legacy.

Caribbean News

Royal Caribbean Group and Sandals Resorts Announce Landmark Partnership to Accelerate Their Leading Vacation Experiences

Published

4 weeks ago

September 24, 2026

Deandrea Hamilton

Royal Caribbean Group Investment to Advance Sandals and Beaches’ Growth and Broaden the Group’s Vacation Portfolio

Montego Bay, Jamaica and Miami, September 24, 2026 – Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL) and Sandals Resorts today announced the signing of an agreement to form a partnership in the all-inclusive resort space with a 50% investment from Royal Caribbean Group. Building on Sandals and Beaches Resorts’ more than four decades of leadership in Caribbean hospitality, the joint venture will create new opportunities for continued resort growth while broadening the experiences across Royal Caribbean Group’s vacation platform.

The partnership brings together two of the travel industry’s most celebrated vacation companies, pairing Sandals and Beaches’ all-inclusive resort expertise with Royal Caribbean Group’s vacation platform, including industry-leading brands – Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea – a portfolio of private destinations, new river cruising offering, and an industry-first loyalty program. United in a shared history in the Caribbean and connected by a love for their communities, the companies will offer travelers an unparalleled collection of cruise, private destination and resort experiences, serving guests across more vacation occasions and establishing their undisputed leadership in Caribbean vacations.

The joint venture expands Royal Caribbean Group into an adjacent vacation category, growing its participation in the approximately $2 trillion global vacation market, and meets the growing global demand for Sandals and Beaches Resorts by accelerating their expansion. The partnership will include Sandals and Beaches’ collection of premier all-inclusive properties across the Caribbean, and the companies will explore opportunities to broaden distribution, deepen guest engagement, and make it easier for travelers to discover vacation experiences offered across both portfolios.

“For nearly 60 years, we’ve reimagined what a vacation can be, constantly expanding the ways we inspire our guests to explore, connect and create lifelong memories,” said Jason Liberty, Chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group. “We have been building a vacation platform that brings joy to millions of people around the world and creates meaningful relationships that last with our guests. Our partnership with Sandals and Beaches Resorts is an important next step on that journey – bringing together two iconic leading vacation companies to further strengthen and grow one of the most admired resort portfolios in the world. The Stewart family has created powerful and beloved brands, and we are honored to build on that legacy. Together, we see tremendous opportunity to expand the reach of Sandals and Beaches Resorts and continue turning the vacation of a lifetime into a lifetime of vacations.”

“My father, Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, founded Sandals Resorts with the belief that a company built in the Caribbean could stand on the world stage alongside the most respected names in hospitality. Today is proof of how far that vision can go,” said Adam Stewart, Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts. “This partnership is the natural next step in building on that conviction. It gives us the ability to grow faster with a partner that shares our values of exceptional hospitality, long-term investment, and the power of enduring brands. Together, we will introduce more guests to Sandals and Beaches Resorts while creating even more extraordinary experiences for those who have made our resorts part of their lives for decades.” Stewart added, “As we continue to grow, we will remain true to what has always defined us: delivering authentic vacations that exceed expectations while creating opportunities for our team members, travel advisor partners and the communities we call home. The future has never been brighter, and I know this moment would make my father incredibly proud.”

The joint venture will be governed by a board under the shared leadership of Stewart and Liberty. Stewart will maintain a leadership role in guiding the company’s long-term strategic growth as Executive Chairman of Sandals and Beaches Resorts. Existing reservations, loyalty programs, resort operations and cruise operations will continue as usual, with the partnership bringing additional resources to support future opportunities.

Under the terms of the agreement, Royal Caribbean Group will acquire a 50% equity interest in Sandals and Beaches Resorts for approximately $3 billion, representing a forward EBITDA multiple of approximately 10x. Royal Caribbean Group has secured committed debt financing from Morgan Stanley to fund the investment. The transaction is expected to close in early 2027, subject to customary approvals and closing conditions, and is expected to be accretive to earnings next year.

BofA Securities and PJT Partners acted as financial advisors, and Latham & Watkins and Jones Day acted as legal advisors to the Sandals Group. Perella Weinberg Partners and Morgan Stanley acted as financial advisors and Kirkland & Ellis LLP acted as legal advisor to Royal Caribbean Group.

PHOTO CAPTION: Jason Liberty, Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, and Adam Stewart, Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts, mark the signing of an agreement to form a landmark partnership that expands Royal Caribbean Group into the all-inclusive resort space and supports the future growth of Sandals and Beaches Resorts. The signing took place at Royal Caribbean Group’s new headquarters in Miami, with the city’s skyline in the background.

Caribbean News

Royal Caribbean Signs US$3-Billion Deal for Half of Sandals and Beaches

Published

4 weeks ago

September 23, 2026

Deandrea Hamilton

The Caribbean tourism deal first reported as a possibility on Tuesday is now a signed agreement. Royal Caribbean Group plans to pay approximately US$3 billion for a 50% stake in Sandals and Beaches Resorts, putting the value of the business at about US$6 billion. The purchase is expected to close in early 2027, subject to approvals.

Founded in Jamaica by the late Gordon “Butch” Stewart in 1981, the resort business has a presence across nine Caribbean destinations, including Jamaica, The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos. Sandals has described its workforce as nearly 20,000 people, most of them Caribbean nationals.

“My father, Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, founded Sandals Resorts with the belief that a company built in the Caribbean could stand on the world stage alongside the most respected names in hospitality,” said Adam Stewart in the announcement carried by PR Newswire. He will remain executive chairman, while the Stewart family retains a stake. The companies say existing reservations and resort operations will continue as usual.