I understand that the Trelawny Co-operative Credit Union (TCCU) is celebrating its 40th anniversary and that a feature of the celebratory activities is the awarding of a special anniversary scholarship to a tertiary institution.

This affords me the opportunity to publicly express appreciation to the TCCU for the role it has played in enabling me to be where I am today, thanks to its scholarship programme.

I remember naively thinking that when my two years of study in Barbados were complete I would no longer have financial woes. I would be home and closer to family and friends and would have no reason to worry about purchasing another airline ticket, or calling home every so often to have money sent to me.

Significant expenses

I figured I would simply have to find somewhere close to the university campus to facilitate easy access to the Norman Manley Law School. Life would be back to normal. To my dismay, however, I was confronted with another two years of significant expenses. The accommodation that I thought could have been easily attained did not prove to be an easy feat. The real-estate market in the Corporate Area proved not to be for the faint of heart. This is a very aggressive market that requires obtaining The Sunday Gleaner at 12:01 a.m. and identifying properties before dawn.

I never forgot the disappointment I faced when, just as I thought I had found the perfect place, reality sunk in when a visit to the premises revealed that it was significantly below standard. Other significant expenses included tuition, transpor-tation, food and books.

During my second year at the Norman Manley Law School, I learnt of the Trelawny Co-operative Credit Union's intention to initiate a tertiary-level scholar-ship. I received that information with quite a bit of scepticism. I was curious but thought the likelihood of me being a recipient somewhat dubious, to say the least. I was encouraged to apply and, despite my doubt, I did.

Timely assistance

To my surprise, I was invited to an interview. The rest, as they say, is history. I received a $100,000 scholarship, which proved to be very timely assistance. It helped considerably and I was extremely appreciative of being chosen as a beneficiary. In addition to the monetary award, the credit union offered me the benefit of expanding my horizon by presenting me with the opportunity to discern a little about their operations.

The Trelawny Co-operative Credit Union has a positive presence which is widely felt in the community. I would like to use this medium to thank the credit union for the general interest it has placed in students in Trelawny. I am particularly grateful for the opportunity it has afforded me in the past and the interest it continues to maintain in my development.

I am, etc.,

Tova T. Hamilton

cwoodrow13@msn.com

Attorney General's Chambers