JOA scholarship propels Shanae Gordon to academic excellence

By Sports Desk May 12, 2021

In her daily practice and play, Shanae Gordon is used to clutching a ball and outsprinting rivals. In the classroom, the national rugby player is proving how much those qualities are part of her educational habits, by grabbing a scholarship provided by the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) and run with it to now earn an academic scholarship.

One of the first recipients of the JOA Scholarship, Gordon, who is pursuing a degree in the Bachelor’s of Education programme at G.C. Foster College of Physical Education and Sport, expressed gratitude for the JOA Scholarship and now this addition awarded by the institution for her exploits in the classroom.

“After receiving a grant from the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA), through the Jamaica Rugby Football Union (JRFU), I must say my journey has been tremendous and exciting. In receiving my grant, it has reduced my financial burden and it is ensuring my success in the future,” said Gordon revealed.

Noting that she has been emboldened by interview opportunities that came as a result of her being a historic recipient of the bursary, she added: “Subsequent to getting this award I received multiple interviews from both radio and Tv stations about being a recipient of this sporting grant and it was just the beginning of my journey. I tend to be a very shy person. However, after completing several interviews I became more confident and outgoing.”

Continuing, Gordon said: “The thought of getting help to finish my third year has given me a very strong drive, whereas it motivated me intrinsically. I have been doing well academically, but this grant allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and make a lot of improvements. Regardless of the difficulty adapting to the online learning, I couldn’t find the courage to complain due to the fact that it was an adjustable situation.”

Ryan Foster, Secretary/General/CEO, JOA, said in creating the scholarship, this is the sort of impact they intended to advance the educational perspective of athletes in becoming wholesome individuals.

"The JOA scholarship was created to provide an avenue for our athletes to excel not only on the field of play but in the classroom. Our expansion of the educational perspective, we believe, is another avenue within which our athletes can benefit from our expansive member services. This is in addition to our Internship Programme, our IT shared services, as well as our recently launched Equipment Grant,” outlined Foster.

“The JOA will continue to put our athletes at the front and we are excited to witness the success of Ms Gordon not only in the classroom but also on the field where she will represent the country in the upcoming Olympic Qualifiers in June.

“Ms Gordon and all the JOA scholarship awardees are the first recipients of what we consider a part of our legacy, one which will lay the foundation for many years to come,” added Foster.

Novelette Harris, Member Services Manager, JOA, noted that Gordon’s success proves the balance is quite achievable.

“We are proud of our scholarship recipients and are happy that they continue to do well in their capacities of both athlete and student,” said Harris. “This serves as a demonstration that there can be a balance between sport and academics. The JOA will continue to provide the necessary support, financially and otherwise.”

Gordon said Harris has been supportive of her efforts.

“This grant has changed my way of thinking and I appreciate the fact that it didn’t only come with funds for me to finish college, but it came with a strong individual, Ms Harris, who continued to tell me not to give up. It helped me to believe in myself more and I just want to say thanks again to the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) for granting me this scholarship. Great things are yet to come,” Gordon promised.

Chairman of the JRFU, Jerry Benzwick, said the association is proud of Gordon’s academic achievements, noting that they also share the JOA’s vision of “rounded athletes”.

“We at the JRFU are extremely proud of Shanae Gordon, our first rugby union recipient of a JOA Academic Scholarship. She has spent her time over the past school year maintaining a high standard of study. Shanae has proven herself an excellent ambassador for the sport,” said Benzwick.

“We share the JOA’s vision of rounded athletes who can move beyond their sport and be exemplary citizens who contribute positively to the development and growth of Jamaica,” added Benzwick. “Shanae is now in preparation to compete with her team in the Olympic Qualifier Repechage in June and we look forward to them qualifying.”

END.

 

Related items

  • England-born Isaac Hayden upbeat ahead of Boyz debut in high-stakes Nations League quarterfinal clash against US England-born Isaac Hayden upbeat ahead of Boyz debut in high-stakes Nations League quarterfinal clash against US

    Isaac Hayden is counting down the days to what promises to be a special milestone in his career—making his debut with the Reggae Boyz in the highly anticipated Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal clash against the United States.

    The England-born midfielder has waited a long time for this moment, as his journey to this point has been marked by anticipation and heritage, and he’s ready to embrace both when he takes the field for the first-leg clash at the National Stadium on Thursday. The return leg is set for November 18 at Energizer Park.

    “Yeah, things have been really, really good, and the first day has been fantastic. The lads and the staff have welcomed me in so well, and I’m just really, really excited to be here and hoping to contribute,” Hayden said with a smile.

    For Hayden, this home leg, in particular, holds more than just competitive weight, as it also serves a family reunion of sorts given that his father and both grandparents were all born on the island.

    Having represented England from the Under-16 to the Under-21 levels, Hayden declared his ambition to play for the Three Lions at senior level in 2019, but changed track to switch allegiance to Jamaica as he felt the significance of bringing those family ties full circle.

    “I've still got some family members over here now who I think are going to come to the game on Thursday. It’s good to finally get it (the switch) done and get it over the line. It’s been a long time coming, and yeah, I’m just looking forward to it,” Hayden declared.

    That said, the 29-year-old pointed out that adapting to the new environment has been an enjoyable process as he is quickly adjusting to the Caribbean conditions after his recent arrival.

    “I had a good session with some of the lads. Obviously, some of the lads are still to come, but it was still a good group out there. Training and acclimatising to the weather... everything’s been fine; it has been smooth sailing. I am really enjoying myself so far,” Hayden shared enthusiastically.

    Hayden’s smooth transition in the Reggae Boyz setup has been aided by a trusted figure in Head coach Steve McClaren, whose guidance and familiarity have given Hayden an extra layer of comfort.

    In fact, the gravity of Jamaica’s World Cup ambitions is not lost on Hayden either. As a player with a wealth of experience from his days in England, Hayden is well aware of the task ahead.

    “I've known the gaffer for a while. We had a few conversations before, and it was something he thought I could add to the group in a positive way. For me, I wanted to come in and contribute the best way possible to improve the team’s chances of getting to the next round of the Nations League, and then obviously looking further ahead is obviously World Cup qualification, which is a huge, huge goal of everyone here,” he noted.

    Rated highly by former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger as a player whose key assets are concentration, intelligence, and strength, Hayden is energized and eager to parade his versatility in front of passionate Jamaican fans.

    The Newcastle United defensive midfielder is also equally comfortable at centre-back and has previously featured at right-back and as a playmaker.

    “I think playing on Jamaican soil in the first round is important,” he said, eyes lighting up at the thought.

    “The atmosphere will be cracking with the amount of tickets sold and everything that comes around that, but the main thing for us is to go out there and do everyone proud in Jamaica,” he ended.

  • Springboks aiming to have 'two best teams in the world', says Esterhuizen Springboks aiming to have 'two best teams in the world', says Esterhuizen

    South Africa centre Andre Esterhuizen said that the Springboks are aiming to have "the two best teams in the world" ahead of their Autumn Nations Series clash against England.

    The world champions were pushed all the way by Scotland in their narrow victory at Murrayfield on Sunday, though head coach Rassie Erasmus opted to rotate some key starting positions. 

    South Africa captain Siya Kolisi and flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit started on the bench, with the changes a common theme during Erasmus' seven-year tenure. 

    Their opening Autumn Nations Series victory also put them back on top of the world rankings after Ireland's first defeat in 19 home games by New Zealand on Friday.

    "One of the good things is that everyone is getting game time now," Esterhuizen told the BBC's Rugby Union Weekly podcast.

    "It is also about looking forward, you've got to be able to spare all the guys for the next World Cup and build experience into it.

    "The aim is to have the two best teams in the world, all in one squad.

    "We want to make it second nature for people slotting in, so if someone steps in, they can just slot in and play the same if not better than the other player."

    South Africa next face England, who are yet to pick up a win this autumn, at Twickenham on Saturday.

    Steve Borthwick's side suffered a narrow two-point defeat by New Zealand, before conceding an injury-time winning try to Australia on Saturday.

    England have now lost each of their last four Test matches, their longest such run since losing five straight games in 2018, but Esterhuizen's former Harlequins team-mate Marcus Smith has been impressive for the Red Roses. 

    "It's a great space, I obviously love to play there," Esterhuizen added. "It will be great to be running at Marcus, not run off him.

    "It's going to be a great match, England have played well in the last few games, it's unfortunate that it hasn't been the results that they want. I think it's going to be a big one."

    The Springboks have won three of their last four matches against England (L1), including each of their last two. Three of the last five games between England and South Africa have been decided by single-point margins.

  • England-born Rhea Dixon ready to shine bright for Sunshine Girls in Vitality Netball Horizon Series England-born Rhea Dixon ready to shine bright for Sunshine Girls in Vitality Netball Horizon Series

    To say that Sunshine Girl Rhea Dixon stands ready to make a powerful mark in the highly anticipated four-match Vitality Netball Horizon Series against England, would be a great understatement.

    In fact, the England-born goal attack, whose Jamaican roots trace back to her grandparents from St. Elizabeth, is not only brimming with confidence and excitement, but more importantly, feels a renewed sense of purpose heading into the series which she believes represents an incredible opportunity to make Jamaica proud.

    Dixon, who had an impactful debut for the Sunshine Girls at last year’s Fast5 Netball World Series, is ready to once again showcase her talent alongside her Sunshine Girls teammates.

    England will host the first two games scheduled for November 16 and 17 at the AO Arena in Manchester, with Jamaica set to host the last two encounters on November 25 and 26 at the National Indoor Sports Centre.