For many students, science can seem intimidating — a subject of complex formulas, unfamiliar terms and difficult ideas. For Donnell Dunkley, however, it represents something quite different: curiosity, discovery and opportunity.

A biochemistry graduate, educator, youth leader and advocate for STEM, Dunkley is committed to helping young people see science not merely as a subject, but as a way of understanding the world. Through his work at New Forest High School and his involvement in the BOOST Programme, he is helping to shape a new generation of thinkers and problem-solvers in Jamaica.

His passion for science, however, was not always evident. Dunkley grew up in Kennedy Grove, Clarendon, raised with his sister by devoted parents in what he describes as a peaceful, supportive community. The values instilled there continue to guide him. Self-motivated, ambitious and jovial, he is driven by a firm sense of purpose.