UP recently gave out two bursaries (in the amount of $1,000 each) to two student-scholars.
The process of building the bursaries, reviewing applicants, and handing out the money was arduous. But it was worthwhile. Why? Because in the end we found two very fine people to receive a little financial support designed to help get them through the pandemic period while maintaining a focus on their studies and continuing to volunteer in their home communities.
The recipients — Ms. Mackenzie States and Mr. Jassin States (who are cousins, but came to the UP program and bursary process separately and via very different routes) — are not only good people but have, according to those who know them best & love them most, great potential to be even better tomorrow than they already are today.
But getting from good to great can be almost as hard as going from okay to reasonably good. Often what helps is something as simple as a mentor checking in with a call or e-mail. Or a teacher giving a few words of encouragement. Or a big-hearted donor making an unexpected e-Transfer on a November morning.
Let’s be clear, though: “Mack” and “Nunu” are not getting charity and they’re not receiving a gift from out of the blue. Rather, they are are being invested in. And they deserve this show of support.
As for the investor, the fact that she is anonymous is interesting but irrelevant. What matters is that someone older, who went through a version of the challenges that Mack and Nunu face today, knows that a small financial boost can be a big help to the right young person. It’s a game plan so perfectly simple it’s simply perfect: Pay it forward by giving back.
-DN