‘I can do that’ - 17-y-o Bridgeport High graduate receives $600,000 scholarship from NCB Foundation

By the time London Crawlle applied for an NCB Foundation scholarship, the deadline had passed. She submitted her application anyway.

It was the latest in a series of big decisions that shaped her year. The 17-year-old Bridgeport High School graduate had planned to become a nurse. But while exploring career options, she became intrigued by cybersecurity. She enjoyed technology, saw how quickly artificial intelligence was transforming the world and, for the first time, could picture herself helping to protect the systems on which people and organisations increasingly depend.

“I can do that,” she remembers thinking.

That moment led her to the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean’s (UCC) programme offerings, where she discovered the Bachelor of Science in Networking with Cyber Security. She applied without knowing how her mother would manage the tuition costs.

An only child, Crawlle relies heavily on her mother. The financial uncertainty was accompanied by another challenge. She had struggled academically in high school. Instead of allowing those setbacks to define her, she became more organised, more focused and determined to prove she could do better.

Then came the scholarship advertisements. Crawlle kept seeing notices about opportunities offered by the NCB Foundation. Although she believed she had missed the deadline, she took a leap of faith and applied. The decision resulted in her being selected as the 2026 recipient of the Dr Rickert Allen Memorial Scholarship.

The scholarship provides $600,000 annually towards her studies at UCC, provided she maintains a grade point average of at least 3.0 and completes 16 hours of voluntary service each year. The requirements reflect the scholarship’s broader purpose: rewarding academic achievement while encouraging service to others.

Crawlle is already building that record. At school, she was a member of the Student Council, Prefect Club, Music Club and Health and Wellness Club. She also volunteered with the National Health Fund. Her ambition is to build a career in technology, create opportunities for others and give back to her community.

“London’s story shows what can happen when a young person refuses to let uncertainty make the decision for her,” said NCB Foundation CEO Perrin Gayle. “She found a field that matched her curiosity, took responsibility for improving academically and applied even when she thought the opportunity had passed. As Jamaica navigates an increasingly digital and AI-shaped world, we need young people like London preparing to secure the systems our institutions, businesses and communities rely on. This scholarship gives her financial support, but it also asks her to keep achieving and serving. We are proud to back her next chapter.”