Past students find challenges fulfilling

Past students of many schools in Jamaica say they grasp at the chance to be of assistance to their former schools and they find that opportunity fulfilling especially because of the need in these schools.

"The inspiration was purely to help but. It's a matter of personal satisfaction really because outside of a school setting (at Ardenne) you get so much more," says Nordia Sinclair, president of the past students' association of Ardenne High School on Hope Road in Kingston. "Its more of a community feeling and this is a way of giving back for some of the extras we have gotten."

Keeping true to its motto of "past students working together to build Ardenne" the group has been actively involved in the school's life in sports, financial assistance and personnel, volunteering time and resources.

For Rusea's High School in Hanover, the old students association has plans to extend even further, its assistance to students having difficulties with obtaining books, lunch money and especially to assist students lagging behind with academics.

Dale McNab, president of the Rusea's Old Students division on the University of the West Indies campus, says in spite of the pressures of tertiary studies there was still a strong desire among members to help, especially as they had recently left high school and were still aware of the difficulties which some students faced.

Earl Johnson, a 23-year-old teachers' college student, recently left high school where he says the old students association is a "semi-popular" affair. "They planned a number of things which were left on the road a number of times, and some that came through. But besides that, sometimes it helps just to reunite old students and give present students some encouragement to do well."

While some students are all for the hype about sports and academic performance, with past students like Hillary Chandler, the chance to make a difference is still the motive which is most popular. Like others, she remembers when furniture and food was not enough or when passes were among the best islandwide. She says, "When I used to go there, there were a lot of things that weren't getting done, and I would join (the association) so I could help to implement them. I think that would help some students to come out having something more to give to society."

It is this perception which has fostered the work of several very active groups across the island with plans for many more to come.

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