Cornwall College Alumni Guide Boys Through Mentorship and Tutoring

Alex Shaw (centre) student receives a cheque from Barrington Harvey (left), chairman of the CC Old Boys Association . Also present is  Principal Michael  Ellis of Cornwall College.

The Cornwall College Mentoring and Tutoring Initiative, launched in 2022, is helping to transform the lives of students through structured mentorship, tutoring, and personal development.

The programme was established following a call from principal Michael Ellis to address behavioural and motivational challenges among students and to rekindle the spirit of discipline and excellence for which the Montego Bay-based institution is known.

“The principal expressed concern about the lack of focus among some of the boys and the growing influence of negative distractions,” said Barrington Harvey, chairman of the initiative. “We wanted to find a way to guide them toward becoming responsible, focused, and confident young men, true ‘men of might’, as our motto says.”

Mr Harvey and members of the committee shared information about the initiative at the Violence Prevention Alliance (VPA) Steering Committee Meeting in October.Since its inception three years ago, the programme has reached approximately 230 students with the support of nearly 100 mentors, many of them alumni spanning several generations and professions.

He said that the initiative was built around five pillars: academic success, connecting resources, character education, career exploration, and community engagement, collectively referred to as the “Five C’s”.

He explained that the goal is to help students develop strong character, emotional intelligence, and social responsibility. “If a student feels accountable to his peers and community, he’s less likely to make destructive choices,” he said.

The mentors work in close collaboration with the school’s Guidance Department to identify students in need of support. Each mentor is typically paired with a mentee throughout his time at Cornwall College, with many relationships extending beyond graduation.

Michael Townsend (Class of 1985), one of the mentors, highlighted the importance of positive male role models. “When I spoke with the parents of the mentees, every one of them was a woman, mothers and grandmothers,” he said. “Part of preventing violence and social breakdown is ensuring that boys have men to look up to and learn from.”

Gregory Burnett (Class of 1964), another mentor, underscored the importance of moral grounding. “We were taught to pray before meals and attend assembly every day. Those values shaped us,” he said. “The world is drifting away from God, and we must bring our boys back to those principles, to love God and to love each other.”

The initiative also promotes extracurricular involvement, health and wellness, and life skills training to help students achieve balance and holistic growth.

Mentor Colin Ramsey, who has more than 30 years’ experience working with young men in the United States, noted that the challenge of absent fathers is not unique to Jamaica. “What you see is what you’ll be,” he said. “When young men are surrounded by positive examples, they learn to emulate that.”

Mr Harvey said the committee hopes to strengthen partnerships with organisations such as the VPA to expand the programme’s reach.

“This is serious work,” he said. “We’re not just tutoring students; we’re shaping the next generation of leaders and helping them make better choices for themselves and their communities.”