Howard Awards $150,000 in Scholarships to 30 Jamaican Students
Originally published by South Florida Caribbean News Read the original
UPPER MARLBORO, Md. — Thirty Howard University students of Jamaican heritage received $5,000 scholarships Saturday as a Jamaican alumni network awarded $150,000 to support academic achievement and career development.
The scholarships were presented at the seventh annual HUes of Blue fundraising reception at Wellspring Manor & Spa. The Jamaica Howard University Affinity Network, or JHUAN, hosts the event to fund scholarships, mentorship, networking and professional development for Jamaican students at Howard.
Howard University Board of Trustees
JHUAN President and Chairman Don Christian, a member of the Howard University Board of Trustees, presented the awards. Recipients must be Jamaican-born or of Jamaican parentage, enrolled full time at Howard and maintain at least a 3.0 grade-point average.
Founded in 2018, JHUAN has developed a community-based support network that connects students with financial assistance, mentors, professional contacts and career opportunities.
The organization has awarded 145 scholarships, 19 freshman fellowships and five Finish Line awards totaling $642,500, Christian said, citing figures presented at the event.
Demand continues to outpace available aid, Christian said. “We have a 100% graduation rate, yet we have an underserved population because there are over 100 students with average GPAs of 3.7 that we were not able to provide any support for,” he said. “We are on a mission … to assist these Jamaican students who are so deserving, so talented.”
Christian said JHUAN also connects students with mentors and professionals who can help them at Howard and after graduation.
“As an alumnus who has benefited greatly from Howard University, it is important that we look for ways to support our academic institutions and pay it forward,” he said. “JHUAN exists to inspire our students to dream more, learn more and become more.”
2026 IMPACT Awards
JHUAN also presented its 2026 IMPACT Awards to Devon Bryan, co-founder of Cyversity, formerly the International Consortium of Minority Cybersecurity Professionals, and Trevor Heaven, board chairman of Future Energy Source Co. Ltd., or FESCO, in Jamaica.
Christian called Bryan and Heaven examples of the professional achievement and community service JHUAN wants students to see firsthand. Their recognition, he said, gives students an opportunity to meet accomplished Jamaican professionals and learn from their experiences.
Trailblazer Award
The program honored Wellspring Manor & Spa owner Lisa Brown Alexander with its Trailblazer Award. Brown Alexander, a Howard alumna, and her husband, Kevin Alexander, hosted the reception. She contributed $100,000 to the scholarship fund last year.
Christian thanked the Alexanders for their continued support and for hosting the event at Wellspring Manor & Spa.
Howard University President Wayne A.I. Frederick said the scholarships are especially important because international students at Howard often face financial circumstances unlike those at many other institutions.
“When you look at international students coming to Howard, it is very different from the rest of higher education,” Frederick said. “In most of higher education, those students are writing a check, and it’s revenue for a university. That is not the case at Howard or with Jamaican students in particular.”
Frederick said the aid supports strong students in important fields who can make an impact in Jamaica or elsewhere. He praised Christian and the JHUAN committee for building a program that has significantly benefited students and urged more people to support its continued growth.
Shaneal Mitchell and Blayne Montaque received the Bancroft S. Gordon Scholarship Awards, which recognize achievement in athletics, academics, leadership and community engagement.
The awards honor the late Bancroft S. Gordon, a Howard alumnus and former football player.
HUes of Blue is JHUAN’s flagship fundraiser, bringing together members of the Jamaican diaspora, Howard alumni, university leaders, business executives and friends of Jamaica. Christian said the goal is to ensure qualified students are not overlooked because of financial need.
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