The Reverend Gary Harriot, interim minister at the Shortwood United Church in St. Andrew, greets scholarship awardees 13-year-old Ashenie Phillips and three-year-old Toni-Ann Mitchell. Ashenie was yesterday awarded a scholarship worth over $100,000 to assist with her high school education. Toni-Ann, who starts basic school today, also received a scholarship as part of the church's 170th anniversary celebrations. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

Thirteen-year-old Ashenie Phillips, the 2007 recipient of the Shortwood United Church's 170th Anniversary Scholarship, says her aim is to "be the best". And she's well on her way to making this dream a reality.

Ashenie, a past student of Shortwood Practising School, has secured a place at The Queen's School in St. Andrew after an outstanding performance in the Grade Six Achievement Test.

She was selected for the five-year scholarship worth $125,000 from a group of more than 10 applicants.

Great potential

Gem Craigie, of Shortwood United Church, said Ashenie was chosen because she showed "great potential".

"We noticed during her interview that she had the potential to go a far way. She had excellent grades and it was clear that she knew what she wanted to achieve," Craigie added.

Ashenie's mother, Dorrett Burrell, also expressed happiness and pride at her daughter's achievement.

"She makes me very proud. I am very happy for her and I am grateful for the help the church has given me," she said.

Burrell cited difficulties rearing six children as a single mother. She said she recently lost her job because of her battle with diabetes, and was finding it very difficult to provide the tuition fees and school books.

"God is really good to me," she said. "I was really struggling to find the money for school fees and uniform for my children to go back to school. I have one other daughter going to high school and I really didn't know where the money was going to come from. This is really a blessing," said Burrell.

To assist with the funding of the church's scholarship programme, the Shortwood United Church will be hosting a banquet at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston on November 9.