Fletcher’s Land scholar needs help to study in Rome

From an early age, Abigail Cameron has been hungry for success. It came as no surprise to her family when the Fletcher's Land, west Kingston resident was awarded a full scholarship valued at US$250,000 in 2016 to pursue her bachelor's degree in mathematics at the Ivy League research university, Dartmouth College, in the United States.

"I wanted to do something other than, let's say, medicine or law, which I feel like that is the directive which you are forced into in Jamaica; and what I specifically liked was math ... . It was a teacher at Campion that told me to look into doing math abroad," said Cameron, who also read for a minor in philosophy while in university.

Cameron, who hails from one of Jamaica's tough inner-city communities, is on a mission to help in the development of the agricultural sector in Jamaica. She has been accepted to The American University of Rome to pursue a master's of arts in food studies, for sustainable production and consumption, using mathematical techniques and technological approaches to model agricultural systems.

"I feel like my love for math and science, coupled with the programmes that I was afforded the benefit to be a part of, it really kind of pushed me in the direction of seeing math and technology as a means of addressing development issues," the 24-year-old said.

"A large part of the population relies heavily on agriculture. However, people who live in the rural parts rely heavily on agriculture, and tend to be some of the poorest in the world. I think that developments in technology can directly correlate to agriculture, which is where my field comes in," the scholar explained.

According to studies by the United Nations, by 2050, half of the world's food won't be considered as being either 'nutritious' or 'edible'. This means that by 2050, the world needs to be producing 50 per cent more nutritious food to feed nine billion persons. Cameron is convinced that she has a role to play in solving this major developmental problem that the world will be forced to confront.

Cameron shared with THE STAR that a part of her family's tradition, led by grandmother Orlene Fowler, is to do backyard farming, and that tradition has influenced her decision to pursue her master's degree in food studies. She is also trying to get local farmers involved as well.

However, she faces a major funding challenge as she continues her academic pursuits. Cameron needs to raise US$45,550 (approximately J$6.8 million) by June 1 in order to start the programme at the Rome institution. She has launched a GoFundMe campaign, where she managed to secure US$364 (approximately J$54,000). She has already secured partial funding of US$10,000 (approximately J$1,488,950), but says it has been challenging to secure a full scholarship.

The young scholar is hoping that persons will assist in her quest to start the master's programme at the University of Rome, where she will be able to use mathematics to assist in starting an agricultural revolution.

Link to her campaign:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-abigail-with-graduate-school-tuition?mem...