Kaylin Whittingham Donates $1M To Law Students, Schools In Jamaica
September 12, 2023Attorney-at-law Kaylin Whittingham has done it again, leaving a trail of benevolence whenever she visits her native Jamaica.
She used the latest trip to, among other things, present scholarships and charitable donations totaling $1 million to law students and life-changing institutions on the island.
“I will continue to find ways to give back to Jamaica and engage with the communities here,” said the founder of Whittingham Law, based in New York where she was raised.
She further told The Beacon: “I can’t do it alone, so I will also continue to lean on my colleagues who share the same desire to give back and serve.”
The recipients of the Whittingham Law scholarship are two law students, Kyle Fong and Theronie Hunt, who are respectively enrolled at Norman Manley Law School and the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona. They each received $250,000.
The UWI Faculty of Medical Sciences was presented with $250,000 to expend on its computer project, and Greendale Early Childhood Development Center in Spanish Town got a $250,000 donation.
While expressing gratitude, Hunt, who has completed one year at UWI, said: “This assistance is a tremendous blessing in my life. The financial struggles that I endured in my first year at university negatively impacted my emotional and mental well-being. This scholarship will empower me with the confidence to fully engage in my academic pursuit for the upcoming semesters. I am eternally grateful for this opportunity.”
Before enrolling in the three-year law programme at UWI, Hunt attended St. Hugh’s High School for Girls where she served as Head Girl.
The other scholarship recipient, Fong, who is also oozing gratitude, is a graduate of St George’s College. He recently completed the three-year programme to attain a Bachelor of Laws, and is now embarking on a two-year course at Norman Manley Law School.
“Thankfully, because of the scholarship, I am able to continue the journey that I started in 2020,” Fong told The Beacon, adding that he is pursuing law to help champion the cause of the mentally challenged and others that appear voiceless.
Whittingham presented the monetary contributions recently during a legal and medical summit, which she organized in Jamaica for her colleagues. The group spent six days giving back, engaging with local professionals, and immersing in the Jamaican culture.
At the summit, there were noteworthy programmes, including one on mental health and strategies for mental wellness. There was also a session on the balancing act of women who play the roles of wife, mom and professional. The group also joined forces with VM Wealth Management, which made a presentation on investing in Jamaica.
The organizer, Whittingham, expects the event to grow from strength to strength.
“Several more doctors have indicated an interest to attend, should we have the summit next year – and this would allow us to have a health fair. My law colleagues have also expressed an interest in going directly into schools and shelters to serve,” she explained.
Her sister, Dr Tameka Stephenson Harris, who played an active role in the just-concluded summit, said she welcomes the news that more doctors are likely to come onboard, adding that she would be elated to plan a health fair.
During her visit, Whittingham, along with her team, also travelled across the island. Among the places they visited are Bob Marley Museum, Blue Mountain, and Appleton Estate.
They also stopped in the second city – Montego Bay, St James, where they were greeted by Custos Conrad Pitkin, Miss Saint James Festival Queen 2022 – Shavae Scale, and seven-year-old Nolan Collignon who is a gold medalist in the talent competition hosted by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission. Nolan used the opportunity to wow the team with a rendition of Jimmy Cliff’s “Many Rivers To Cross”.
Meanwhile, people who attended the summit included: Stacey Halsall, Douglas Halsall, Professor Minerva Thame, Hamlin Pagon, Dr. Peter Glegg, Michelle Orane, Marjorie Shaw, Clifton Rochester, Patricia Thompson, Noel Thompson, Courtney Brown, Jerome Harris, Hon. Cheryl Chambers, Seymour James, Sherry Levin Wallach, Kathleen Krugler, Carl Forbes, Paula Edgar, Ken C. Joseph, Tara Dahill, William Dahill, Nnenna Onua, Hugues Mathieu, Jeanette Mena, Dr. Kijana Nix, Dr. Sophia Francis, Clotelle Drakeford, Hon. Trina Moore, Pamela Walker, Dr. Cenecia Catlyn Thompson, Dr. Triston Thompson, Nicole Adamson, Jermaine Harris, Maggie McGann Williams, Marvia Virgo, Denise Marshall-Miller, Janhoi Allen, Shanika Robinson and Frederika Samuels.
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