Long before Kimone Martin became a Ralph and Ricky Lauren scholar, she was a shy girl in Spanish Town, learning the foundations of her future at her mother’s stall.

Years later, standing at a lectern inside the United States Embassy in Kingston, Martin bore little resemblance to the quiet child she describes. As one of 65 grant beneficiaries at the 2026 American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ) annual ceremony, she delivered a vote of thanks with the steady voice of a young woman no longer merely dreaming of change, but accounting for it.

The determined 21-year-old graciously accepted a scholarship towards her Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Management Studies at The University of the West Indies, Mona, a milestone she reached with a profound sense of duty. Growing up in the unpredictable lanes of Rivoli, Spanish Town, Martin watched as success often seemed out of reach for those around her.