NCB Foundation Grant Empowers Clarendon Student to Pursue Passion for Tech

Clarendon, Jamaica What started as a financial burden turned into a life-changing opportunity for 21-year-old Dave Flowers, a former Denbigh High School student whose love for technology began with a simple phone.

Dave, now enrolled in the computing programme at the University of Technology (UTech) Jamaica, is on track to becoming the first in his family to graduate from college. His journey was made possible in large part thanks to the NCB Foundation’s CSEC/CAPE National Bursary Programme, which covered his information technology (IT) exam fees at both the CSEC and CAPE levels.

“One less struggle for my mother,” he reflected, describing the day he found out his exam fees were covered. For Dave, whose mother Elisa Taylor is the sole breadwinner in their home, it was a moment of immense relief.

At CSEC, Dave sat eight subjects and passed five including IT before continuing on to sixth form where he excelled in sociology, physical education, computer science, Caribbean studies, and communication studies. Remarkably, he balanced this academic load while playing on the school’s volleyball team, eventually becoming captain.

Now in his second year at UTech, Dave is pursuing his childhood dream: a career in computing and multimedia.

“It’s something I liked from when I was younger,” he said. “I remember having a phone in grade eight. I was messing around with it and ended up dismantling the whole thing, then putting it back together and it worked. That’s when I knew.”

Dave’s passion for tech is now evolving into a broader vision. He’s eyeing a career in multimedia and production, sparked by a visit to SportsMax during high school.

“I remember being in grade nine or ten, visiting the SportsMax studio in Kingston, and thinking  this is where I want to work. I felt it,” he said.

Though computing and multimedia are distinct fields, Dave plans to take additional courses to combine both skill sets, with the ultimate goal of becoming a well-rounded tech professional.

The NCB Foundation, in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Overseas Examinations Commission, continues to offer this annual bursary to students pursuing IT and computer science at the CSEC and CAPE levels in both public and private institutions.

For Dave Flowers, that support has made all the difference.

“It’s more than just money for exams. It’s hope, it’s opportunity, and it’s the start of something bigger,” he said.

 About the NCB Foundation

The NCB Foundation is committed to youth development, education, and nation building. Through strategic partnerships and funding programmes, the Foundation provides Jamaican students with the resources they need to achieve their academic and professional goals.