West Kingston mother graduates after seven years at university
By Nadine Wilson-Harris
Jolene Williams-Howell graduated from the University of Technology (UTECH) on Saturday, seven years after her enrollment, but the occasion was a bitter-sweet one for the Denham Town resident, who couldn’t help but reflect upon the hardships she experienced while seeking to accomplish this dream.
Williams-Howell’s course of study was to be four years, but then she got ill and later became pregnant. There were several occasions when there was no money to finance her study, and in one case, a scholarship she had received was rescinded. Still, she was determined to reach the finish line, and God always provided the resources necessary to continue.
“I actually went to school right throughout my pregnancy,” recounted the mother of one, who had her son in December 2018.
In 2020, the West Kingston resident had to grapple with the death of her father, who died in her arms as she clung to him in the back of a police vehicle that was transporting them to the hospital. She said he generally had episodes where he would fall, but doctors were unable to diagnose the cause of this.
Williams-Howell, who had placed her studies on hold to take care of her father when he got ill, had to deal with accusations from some of her relatives that she had not done enough for him. This was a huge blow for her psychologically, to the extent that she made the decision to transfer from UTECH to start afresh at another university. She had just gotten a scholarship, and had actually gone through the process of getting her financiers to transfer the funds to the other university, when her sister stepped in.
“My older sister gave me a proper lashing. She encouraged me that this wasn’t the way to go, so I should just let them transfer back the funds to UTECH to continue and just finish what I started,” said the university graduate, who also worked full-time to help finance her studies.
Williams-Howell has a very supportive husband, who was also a student at UTECH. Although they both started university at the same time, Williams-Howell took some time off to take care of their son and encouraged her husband, Shaquille, to continue his schooling. He graduated last year.
“He took time off from school to help be there and give support, but I saw it fit for him to continue while I took care of the baby,” she explained.
Both Shaquille and Jolene were raised in the same community and are currently members of the North Street Seventh Day Adventist Church. Both had to deal with the social upheavals that are a feature of most inner-city communities and the reality of not knowing how their academic pursuits would be financed. Despite the struggles, Williams-Howell graduated with 10 CSEC subjects from the Holy Childhood High School. Both started dating during the latter part of high school and have been supporting each other ever since.
“My faith played a major role, because at most points along the journey, faith was all I had,” said Williams-Howell, as she reflected on her university experience.
“I remember there was an instance where there was no money for school because I had given him [husband] my money for school and he paid for school, he registered and he had class, and he asked me, What about my course? and I said I cannot afford it, but God will come through. I remember I got dressed that morning to go to a class that I hadn’t registered or paid for. I said, I’m just going to sit in one of his classes, because I am going to start anyway, and I remembered when I went to his house to wait for him, because he lived close by, I got a text message on my phone saying I need to come and pick up a cheque for some money to pay for school,” she recounted.
Shaquille said it was Jolene who had encouraged him to start university, despite the fact that he did not have the financial resources. She reminded him that they could get scholarships if they did well. Both have been the recipients of multiple scholarships. The couple got married three years ago.
Williams-Howell, who is now working in the finance department of a government agency, hopes to become a financial analyst. On Saturday, she graduated with a degree in Finance (major) and Production Operation Management (minor).
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