Dionne Rose, Staff Reporter

When 18-year-old Andrea Walker and 21-year-old Swayne Brown from St. Thomas signed up for the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce's (JCC) youth leadership training programme, they never knew they would be awarded scholarships for being top students in the six-week-old programme.

But on Thursday, when their names were called from the slate of 52 participants at a graduation ceremony at the JCC office at East Parade in downtown Kingston, they were both elated.

"I am very happy. I never expected it," said Swayne, who heard about the programme from a friend.

Meanwhile, Andrea told The Gleaner she was feeling really good to be this year's scholarship recipient.

"I feel great that I participated in the programme and got the scholarship," she said.

For Andrea, who recently graduated from Morant Bay High School, the scholarship came at the right time as she was unable to continue tertiary studies due to financial need.

Both recipients will be pursing an associate degree in marketing at the University College of the Caribbean.

Thursday's graduation ceremony marks the 41st cohort of the inner-city leadership programme sponsored by the JCC.

dionne.rose@yahoo.com