2016-17 PALAS Top Performers (1 of 5) : Shanae T. Christian, Gold Star Awardee tops all applicants....PALAS Goal is to award 100 new scholarships. Funds shortfall will support 90. An additional 56 who met criteria will not be afforded a scholarship. Seventy (70) learning institutions in Jamaica participated from all parishes.... PLEASE DONATE TODAY

Shanae Christian, 2016-17 PALAS Gold Star Recipient

PALAS News, July 1, 2016

The Peace and Love Academic Scholarship, Inc. (PALAS, Inc.) Board of Directors selected the recipients of the next set of new scholarships which will be presented in Kingston, Jamaica at the Pegasus Hotel in August 2016. The Prime Minister of Jamaica, the Most Honourable Andrew Holness and Attorney Patrick Campbell of Washington D.C will give the keynote speaking addresses.

This year PALAS received a record number of applications from seventy (70) learning institutions in Jamaica/Caribbean. All the parishes were represented. At the end of this years' presentation PALAS, Inc. the Atlanta, Georgia based organization will have awarded 385 scholarships totaling over JA$21.15 Million (approx. US$175,000.00). PALAS goal is to award 100 scholarships.

It has been quite challenging to raise the funds to support these scholarships each year. In 2011-12, PALAS awarded thirteen (13) scholarships and in 2015, ninety-five (95) were awarded. For the 2016 campaign, over 200 applications were received and 146 students met the basic requirement as stipulated by PALAS.

After analyzing the total funds collected, 56 students who met the criteria will not be afforded with a scholarship due to the lack of funds. We would like to raise additional funds in the next two weeks to bring the 2016-17 scholarship count to 100.

Each year PALAS selects two Gold Star recipients based on their overall performance during the evaluation process. This year the awardees are Shanae T. Christian of Wolmer's Trust High School in Kingston, Jamaica. Shanae received the most points of 29/30 to finish first. The second Gold Star winner is aspiring Lawyer, Ashleigh-Ann Dussard of the University of the West Indies who finished second in the overall ranking.

95 PALAS Awardees in 2015

We desperately need funds to cover expenses for an additional ten (10) scholarships and to support our awards presentation on August 13th. PALAS, "preserving Young Minds for Posterity". All applicants will be contacted of the results by email on July 14, 2016.

Please make a donation online at www.PALAS1.org or send a check Payable to PALAS, P.O. Box 5461 Alpharetta, GA 30023. USA. Thank you very much in advance for the kind donation to the Peace and Love Academic Scholarship (PALAS) Program. 

PALAS is a registered non-profit, 501 (c) (3) Tax exempt organization in the State of Georgia. Any contributions made to PALAS, Inc. is tax deductible.