Young scholar rises above Riverton roots to pursue dreams

BORN and raised in one of Kingston’s inner-city communities, Javon Gentles knows what it is like to lose opportunities due to his Riverton City address rather than his credentials. But when he took the stage at the Burger King National Scholarship Awards last Tuesday, he showed up as a testament to perseverance and being able to rise above the limitations placed on him.

“I grew up in a community where potential is everywhere, but opportunities are often scarce. Growing up there taught me resilience and resourcefulness. It also taught me the hard truth: Sometimes people will see your address before they see your character, your abilities, or your potential.

“But I learned that I could not control the assumptions others made. What I could control was what I believed, the opportunities that were brought to me, and the place in which I wanted to go — the direction in which I wanted to choose to take. And I choose greatness,” declared Gentles, as he spoke on behalf of the 2026 cohort of scholars at the AC Hotel Kingston.