Alvin Day (left), author of the bestselling book 'If Caterpillars Can Fly, So can I', congratulates one of the winners of the Alvin Day Scholarship, which is awarded each year to students at his alma mater, Edwin Allen High. In the background, wearing a school tie, is his Russian business partner, Bob Freedman. - Contributed

Alvin Day, personal empowerment coach and author of the best selling book 'If Caterpillars Can Fly, So Can I', recently handed over approximately $500,000 in scholarship funds to his alma mater, Edwin Allen High School in Clarendon.

This was in addition to the more than $2 million he has donated over the past seven years.

Each year, assistance is given to several students towards textbooks, lunch, transportation and exam fees. The students must apply for these scholarships and are usually interviewed by Day and his wife, who now live in Florida. This year they were joined by Bob Freedman, a Russian business partner of Day's who caught the vision and wanted to contribute to the cause.

Scholarships

This year, 26 students were awarded scholarships to the tune of $18,000 each. The scholarships are for the academic year, but students may reapply the following year, as long as they maintain a grade average of at least 65 per cent.

The Alvin Day Scholarship Fund was started in 2001 by Day in an attempt to give something back to his alma mater. Seven years ago he was only able to assist six students, but each year the number has increased.Day's goal is to establish a scholarship week when other past students of Edwin Allen can visit the school and provide significantly more scholarships for students in need. Ultimately, he aims to make this a national event for all schools, making it a massive homecoming and giving-back week through which hundreds of students across Jamaica would benefit from the efforts of past students from here and overseas.

Scholarships are usually awarded to students who have any combination of the following conditions.

They skip lunch (some go to the library and try to study.) because their parents cannot afford to give them lunch money.

They go through the school year without the needed textbooks, borrowing from friends or depending on notes.

They attend school only three or four days in some weeks due to insufficient transportation money.

They are cooperative and show good attitude in class, not using their circumstances as an excuse.