Old Harbour youth with $405,000 tuition debt wins NCB Grant a Wish top prize

The 26-year-old copped the top prize in the category of education of the NCB Grant a Wish bonanza promotion, which concluded on December 5.

Warren, a third year medical student, finished atop his field with 24,248 votes, the second highest tally of votes accrued by any individual of all categories combined.

This sees the Texila American University student, bankrolling $300,000 all of which he said will go towards his tuition.

Warren, an Old Harbour High alumnus, said the financial reward comes at a most opportune time, noting he was on the verge of being deregistered due to outstanding school fees.

“I pay school fee in installments, so this will cover three months basically,” he told Old Harbour News in an exclusive interview.

It’s a strategy the aspiring medical doctor said he has been applying to fund his way through university because of his dire financial situation.

He stated that his annual tuition is two million Jamaican dollars, which he finances through various means such as conducting online tutoring.

Winning the top prize came as a massive surprise for Warren, who was a bit hesitant about entering after a friend, who had applied, brought it to his attention.

“I didn’t expect this,” he admitted afterwards. At the time of applying he owed $405,000 in tuition, which was still outstanding up to when he did this interview. With the Grant a Wish prize money covering just over 70 percent of that debt, Warren is a little more optimistic that the school administrators will allow him to sit his first semester exams, scheduled to begin the first week of January.

Warren, who had a very tough upbringing, said his journey has been a constant struggle, but feels very proud of what he has accomplished along the way so far.

“I struggled through UWI (University of the West Indies) to complete my bachelor’s [degree] in chemistry. So here is now another struggle to complete the second degree,” he said. “But I’m very proud of myself. Definitely.”