Teen swaps nursing dreams for cybersecurity

By the time London Crawlle applied for an N.C.B. Foundation scholarship, the deadline had already passed. She applied anyway.

It was one more uncertain step in a year shaped by big decisions. The 17-year-old Bridgeport High School graduate had planned to become a nurse, but as she researched possible careers, cybersecurity caught her attention. She enjoyed technology, saw how quickly artificial intelligence was changing the world and, for the first time, could picture herself helping to protect the systems on which people and organisations increasingly depend.

“I can do that,” she remembers thinking.

That lightbulb moment sent her through the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean’s programmes, where she found the BSc in Networking with Cybersecurity. She applied without knowing how her mother, Trecia Oakley, would afford the tuition.

Crawlle is an only child, and her mother has been the person she leans on most. The financial question sat beside another private challenge. Crawlle had struggled academically in high school. Rather than allowing that chapter to define her, she became more organised, more deliberate and determined to prove to herself that she could do better. Her goal is to build a career in technology, create opportunities for others and give back to her community.

Then she kept seeing advertisements for N.C.B. Foundation scholarships. Although she believed she had missed her chance, she took a leap of faith and submitted an application. That decision led to her selection as the 2026 recipient of the Dr Rickert Allen Memorial Scholarship.

The scholarship provides $600,000 annually towards her studies at UCC. This year, N.C.B. Foundation awarded $37 million in scholarships, helping Jamaican students pursue tertiary education and prepare for fields that will shape the country’s future.

Crawlle is required to maintain a grade point average of at least 3.0 and complete 16 hours of voluntary service each year.

N.C.B. Foundation CEO, Perrin Gayle, says Crawlle’s story shows what can happen when a young person refuses to let uncertainty make the decision for her.

“She found a field that matched her curiosity, took responsibility for improving academically and applied even when she thought the opportunity had passed,” he said.

Gayle views the scholarship is more than financial assistance. Instead, he sees it as an investment in a young Jamaican preparing to take on the challenges of an increasingly digital world.

“As Jamaica navigates an increasingly digital and AI-shaped world, we need young people like London preparing to secure the systems our institutions, businesses and communities rely on. This scholarship gives her financial support, but it also asks her to keep achieving and serving. We are proud to back her next chapter,” Gayle said.