With its student-athletes continuing to enjoy unparalleled success in and out of the classroom, Chase’s Academy has firmly established its status as a breeding ground for excellence in academics and multiple sporting disciplines.
According to the principal of the institution, Sir Henry Chase, who has a ‘passion for impacting lives’, research has proven that “sports will not only enhance education but will also enhance the child.”
Chase Academy is the learning institution for most of the nation’s premier athletes, like the prodigious Tianna Springer, Narissa McPherson, and Javon Roberts, all medalists at regional track and field events.
The school was once home to prolific national football players, Jeremy Garrett, Kelsey, Curtis Kellman, and Ryan Hackett. Cricket standouts Ashmead Nedd, Joshua Persaud, and Sachin Singh are also products of the academy.
Chase’s Academy, which had an 86% pass rate at CSEC this year, has also won several football competitions, namely the Digicel Tournament and the Limacol U-18, for which they have earned the top honours for the past three years.
Sir Chase stated that the institution has awarded 30 scholarships per year since 2012, and he and his staff are happy to play a key role in giving students with athletic potential a chance to enjoy a private school.
“Everyone comes into this world with a gift from God, and we have certain assignments before our time is up,” said Chase yesterday, who added,
“I find my calling to be teaching and impacting lives.”
He told this publication that numerous students attend the school on scholarships simply because they have excelled in a sports discipline, and he noted that he is satisfied that the school is now earning a reputation as a breeding ground for potential Olympians.
This has made the school attractive to parents looking to send their children to a learning institution that values an outstanding sports programme.
“The parents may not have the resources for a private school, but once there is the talent and the willingness to learn, I give students the opportunity for a scholarship.”
The other good news is that the school has a requirement: their student-athletes must maintain a certain grade to keep their scholarship and compete in sports. It is a win-win for the student and the school.
Several past students have graduated and have gone on to achieve even more academic success. Claudrice McKoy, a former CARIFTA Games gold medalist in the middle distance races, recently earned her Master’s in Business Management from Missouri State University.
Kudos to Chase and his staff for mentoring and positively impacting the lives of the students, many of whom have been granted scholarships at a cost of $85,000 per term to attend the institution. (Emmerson Campbell)
