Barry University freshman John Powell was recently recognized as a 2014 recipient of the Jamaican Prime Minister’s Youth Award for Excellence. Powell was one of 23 Jamaican youth to receive the prestigious award from Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller at a ceremony on April 6 in Kingston.
The Jamaican Prime Minister’s Youth Awards for Excellence are presented each year to Jamaican youth between the ages of 15 and 24 for outstanding achievement in agriculture, arts and culture, entrepreneurship, international achievement, journalism, youth in service, leadership, and sports and youth work.
Powell, 20, is a recipient of the Stamps Leadership Scholarship. Founded by South Florida philanthropists, Penny and E. Roe Stamps, the full merit scholarship is awarded yearly to the best and brightest students and the most promising future leaders at 39 universities throughout the country. The Stamps Leadership Scholars Program provides full tuition and room and board over four years, plus funds for study abroad, undergraduate research, and other exceptional learning experiences.
As a native of Jamaica, Powell is the first, and presently, the only international Stamps Leadership Scholar. He previously served as a representative of the Stamps Leadership Program at the Undergraduate Scholar’s Programs Administrator’s Conference in San Antonio, Texas in November 2013.
Powell was selected as the youngest and only Jamaican to represent Jamaica and the Caribbean at the United Nations Alliance of Civilization’s 5th Vienne Youth and Global Forums in Austria in 2013. Fluent in both Spanish and French, Powell was selected as the winner of the LabCitoyen French competition in Jamaica, to represent Jamaica and the English speaking Caribbean in Paris and Nantes, France.
In addition to his numerous accolades, Powell is the current president of Barry’s Model United Nations organization, which he recently helped reorganize after a five-year hiatus; and the treasurer of Barry’s All-Nighter for the Poor Initiative. He is a member of Sigma Alpha Pi Society for Leadership and Success, Phi Eta Sigma Honors Society, Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, M.A.L.E.S, Caribbean Students Association (CSA).
This year, 94 youth were nominated for the Jamaican Prime minister’s Youth Award for Excellence. Powell is among 23 individuals and two organizations that were recognized for the award.
For more information on Powell’s award, visit the sites below:
http://www.youthjamaica.com/content/prime-ministers-youth-awards-nominee-2013-john-powell
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/latest/article.php?id=52162