JN Bank offers financial assistance to high school graduates of Jamaican descent

BY PAUL JUNOR

JN Bank has been very active in Jamaica and Canada in providing a range of financial services. Through the JN Canada representative, they connect the Jamaican diaspora community in Canada to their homeland. The office was opened in 1991 largely due to insistence of Jamaicans living in Canada who wanted to continue their interaction with the Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS), for liaison services in Canada.

Some of services JN Bank offer includes:

• Mortgages on properties in Jamaica as well as other loans such as auto loans
• Deposits and other investment instruments
• Updates/changes to their existing accounts, and themselves on their JN portfolio
• Connections with national and non-financial companies in the JN Group

In my email communication with Anthony Morgan (Corporate Communications of the Jamaica National Group) I forwarded a list of questions regarding the JN Bank and the bursaries that were awarded to at the Alliance of Jamaica Alumni Association (AJAA) Graduates Ceremony held on July 9^th, 2023, at the Levanzo Event Centre & Eatery in Concord, Ontario. The AJAA is a charitable umbrella organization of 40 Toronto-based alumni associations affiliated with educational institutions in Jamaica. The theme for the event was, “Celebrating our legacy-embracing the future.” It was a fitting description of the celebrative aspects of the day’s event which was the 30^th annual bursary and luncheon.

The two bursaries worth $1,000 each were given out by Paulette Sterling (Chief Representative Officer) of the Jamaica National Bank who along with Lincoln Downer (Consul General of Jamaica), and Executive members of the Alliance of Jamaica Alumni Association were present. The motivation to award the bursaries is based on the core values of JN Group. Simply put, it goes to the heart of who they are and their core purpose – an organization centered on enriching the lives of Jamaica and building communities. JN Bank, a member of the JN Group, is focused on helping people find a way to realize their full potential and attain better outcomes.

Ms. Sterling started with JNBS in 1993 and started her present role in October 2022. She has an outstanding track record in professional banking of over 20 years. Her professional journey has afforded her the opportunity to apply new learning, imagine and transform the operations and delivery of various retail services as well as the customer experience within a multinational organization. “JN Group is keen on helping other students in the future. In fact, we are committed to continue supporting the communities we serve focusing on education, financial empowerment, social enterprise, health and safety as well as youth leadership and development. To this end, we are continually reviewing the needs against our capacity to contribute.”

The bursary winners included:

Cedric Campbell

Cedric is a graduate of CW Jefferys Collegiate Institute who will be completing a Cyber Security Architect degree at the Toronto Metropolitan University. He has been active as a volunteer to tackle period poverty, completed the U of T’s Summer mentorship programme, and was part of a team that designed a website to help identify BIPOC students who were interested in pursuing a career in medical sciences. He has over seven years of experience as a guitar soloist and performed at the famous Massey Hall in Toronto to an audience of more that 2,000.

Risheema Edwards

Risheema overcame many obstacles, challenges and setbacks through perseverance, growth and resilience. Her future plans, “I want to become a successful businesswoman after completing a degree in Business Marketing at Seneca College.” She was inspired by her father, a former soccer player for Jamaica and she gives of her time to help out at soccer camps.