"One UWI, One Alumni Family" 

UWI Alumni empowering future Doctors and Dentists: When members of the M.B.B.S. / D.D.S. Class of 2028 at The University of the West Indies (UWI) found themselves urgently in need of stethoscopes, an essential tool to begin their medical training, they received alumni support with compassion, speed, and purpose.

Moved by the students’ initiative and the clear urgency of their situation, the Director of Alumni Relations at the UWI Regional Headquarters, Celia Davidson Francis, a UWI graduate herself, was heartened to hear that the students had already approached UWI graduate, Mr. Sean Morgan, CEO of DMS Dentistry and Medical Supplies, who agreed to offer the stethoscopes at a special reduced rate.

Armed with that discounted offer, the Director galvanized alumni into action through the Empowering Future Alumni (EFA) Programme, which she began in 2000 with the Jamaica Alumni Chapter and then widened to all Alumni Chapters, to encourage consistent giving from UWI graduates.

The Director rallied the International Alumni Chapters and the Florida Chapter led the way, under the leadership of Dr. Cheralee Morgan, championed by Dr. Carmen Nicholas and Mrs. Miriam White and team, who reached out to their counterparts in Washington DC, New York, and Toronto to garner support from their members. Then funds were coordinated through Anne Marie Grant, Executive Director of the American Foundation for The UWI (AFUWI), also a UWI graduate.

Thanks to the collective and heartfelt response of all the alumni who partnered to make this happen, the funds were swiftly secured and the stethoscopes delivered. The handover was a joyful moment for members of the Class of 2028 Medical and Dental students, represented by Class President Justine Hope, Vice President Akeel Henry and some classmates, who received them alongside Mr. Morgan, the Alumni Relations Director, and Professor Minerva Thame, Dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences. “This is the power of paying it forward,” said the Alumni Relations Director, “Whether it’s US$10 or US$500, every gift counts. Alumni support is always needed and always appreciated.”