Nelson

In Jamaican parlance, 'nuff' means enough, much, many, a lot, etc. But, it also means 'too involved'. In the second context, it carries a negative connotation, and is used to describe people who are overbearing and insufferable. Yet, one person who may have put a positive spin on the word is Jaevion Nelson. For, if there is someone who is 'nuff' in a good way, he's one of this year's British Council Chevening Scholarship Jamaican recipients.

Educated at York Town and Mineral Heights primary schools, Clarendon College, and The University of the West Indies, Mona, where he obtained a second-class Bachelor of Science honours degree in management studies (marketing), Jaevion is actively involved in several organisations that address adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights, violence prevention, youth and community development, etc.

He's a former assistant programmes officer and campaign coordinator at the Violence Prevention Alliance and, up to very recently, he worked in the capacity as marketing and partnerships coordinator for the Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network (JYAN). He also served on the Public Education Work Group on Alternative Methods of Behaviour Modification in the Ministry of Education, and taught Caribbean Studies at Convent of Mercy Alpha Academy in the Corporate Area.

Public engagement

Not one to shy away from public engagement, Jaevion has been a delegate, trainer, presenter at several workshops. He has represented Jamaica at conferences and meetings in The Dominican Republic, the United States (US), Martinique, Nicaragua, Canada and the United Kingdom, and has assisted in the planning and execution of many events for the Jamaica National Commission for UNESCO, National Centre for Youth Development, JYAN, and other organisations.

The bad thing about being nuff in a good way, sometimes, is that it can be unrewarding, and people who have benefitted from the efforts of activists can be quite unappreciative. Not very much so in Jaevion's case. Over the years, he has been recognised and rewarded for his tireless involvement in some activity or the other.

Some of the awards he has received so far, as a result, are the Youth Musgrave Medal for Distinguished Eminence in the field of Information Technology and Community Development (2008), Choices Outstanding Young Achiever Award (2006), and the Prime Minister's Youth Award for Excellence in the field of International Achievement (2005).

Most Outstanding Student

In 2004, he was voted the Most Outstanding Student in The Gleaner's Go-Local 'Show Your Community to the World' school competition, after leading Clarendon College to victory in that inaugural competition. He later joined Young MDG, a group of young web designers and developers that published the first youth Millennium Development Goals website.

The team, which comprised members from Finland, the US, Egypt, Australia, The Philippines, Vietnam and Jamaica came second in the under-19 category, out of more than 700 entries, in the 2004 Oracle Education ThinkQuest International Competition and won the New to the Internet category in the 2005 Cable & Wireless Childnet Academy Competition in London. However, all of these achievements were topped recently, when he was granted a Chevening Scholarship.

After being unsuccessful in filling an advertised vacancy at The British Council (sponsor of the Chevening scholarships), Jaevion was encouraged to apply for a scholarship. He didn't apply right away, but he said, "However, for an entire year I spoke of myself as a Chevening scholar. I submitted my application after working and praying on it after several weeks. It was submitted mid-December ... (and) in February this year I got a call to say that I was shortlisted."

Having prepared himself, "good suit of clothes" and all, he went to the interview full of confidence. In retrospect he said, "There were some questions from the panel of five that I probably should have answered better or perhaps more diplomatically, but you don't have that much control when you are speaking on things you are very passionate about."

Unusual phone call

The panellists, however, it seems, were perturbed by his outspokenness, for the events of the day took an unusual turn.

"About 6 p.m. ... I got a call, just as I was going into the photo studio to take some photos ... I didn't recognise the voice, nor did I hear who it was. The person said I had been awarded the Chevening Scholarship. I almost exclaimed some (fillers) at the person, because there was no way they (the British Council) could call me the same day when they had told me it would take about a week or so before a decision was made," he recalled.

It was true. He had talked his way into the heart of the panellists, and now he's beside himself with happiness.

"I have always wanted a scholarship, but I never really made an application because I never thought I was performing well enough. Every day, I look at myself and give thanks. I feel like I am on top of the world. This is very cliché, but, sometimes I wonder if I am dreaming," he said.

Not Dreaming

Dream or no dream, the 23-year-old Jaevion left Jamaica for a youth conference in the US on September 10. He also attended workshops and a briefing for a panel on which he represented JYAN on Capitol Hill last week. After that, he is to travel to the United Kingdom, where he will be pursuing a Master of Science degree in social development and communication at the University of Wales, Swansea.

"I am very excited about the programme because social development and communication are my passion. I have been doing a lot of both, but never gained qualification in the areas. On completion, I am really looking to get into a United Nations programme for young professionals or some other big organisations ... I am really passionate about national development and, as such, gaining the requisite qualification in the area would only prove worthwhile," he said.

paul.williams@gleanerjm.com

'I have always wanted a scholarship, but I never really made an application because I never thought I was performing well enough. Every day, I look at myself and give thanks. I feel like I am on top of the world.'