SUJAE Boswell says he is grateful to be a 2015 recipient of the Governor General’s Achievement Award for Excellence.
The accomplished 20-year-old from the volatile community of Norwood, St James was recognised for his contribution to the development of his parish and country through his outstanding work in youth leadership and advocacy.
He said that he plans to use the national recognition to intensify his efforts to inspire and motivate other young people to strive for excellence despite their circumstance.
“I plan to use my position of influence to urge youth across Jamaica…to remain focused on their dreams and their goals,” Boswell told JIS News.
He said that he has been asked by the administration at his alma mater, Munro College in St Elizabeth, to participate in the 2015/16 orientation programme for students entering the institution in September.
“… I have been doing empowerment sessions with the young people to help them know that life is not just about you; it’s about giving back to others and about helping. It’s a passion of mine [and] I have been doing a lot of youth advocacy work. I am actually going to (Munro’s) orientation session to help the first form students to understand what life is about,” he said
Boswell was among 13 persons from the county of Cornwall who were presented with the Governor General’s Achievement Award for Excellence, during a ceremony at the Sean Lavery Faith Hall in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland on July 23.
A Jamaican youth ambassador to the Commonwealth, Boswell attended Albion Primary and Junior High School in Montego Bay before moving on to Munro. While at Munro College, he captained the School’s Challenge Quiz team, was head prefect, president of the school’s and the national student’s council bodies, junior mayor for Black River, commissioner for the Overseas Examinations Commission and a member of the General Council on Education.
He has collaborated on numerous projects with the Ministry of Youth and Culture and the Ministry of Education, UNESCO, Jamaica Cultural Development Commission, Operations Just for Cause, and also participated in various overseas missions in Finland and Turkey.
Boswell, who is an associate fellow with the Royal Commonwealth Society, is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in international relations at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, and is also external affairs chairman for Chancellor Hall at UWI.
The high achiever holds numerous awards for proficiency in languages, speech, cadet, debating and quiz.
He said that he is dedicating the award to residents of Norwood who have always been his strongest and most vocal supporters.
“I must say it is a great honour to be bestowed with the privilege of being selected as a recipient of the Governor General’s Award. My motivation comes from my community and having been selected from that community is a great feeling and I must thank my community for that,” he said.
In terms of his career goals, he told JIS News that his profession will definitely “be something in representation”.
“I may become a lawyer, I may become a politician, who knows, but it will definitely be along the representative line,” he said.
Boswell lives in Norwood with his mother, grandmother and four siblings.
