Odarie Turner to bloom at Denbigh High after securing scholarship

Her journey to this point is a shining testament to the power of determination, discipline, and strong family support.

“My family motivates me. My teachers too. Especially my grade two teacher, she really pushed me to do my best,” the soft-spoken yet confident young achiever shared. “PEP was really manageable because my mother and teachers prepared me well. A lot of past paper questions we practiced actually showed up on the exams.”

But the road to success wasn’t without bumps. Just two days before sitting the crucial exams, she was hospitalized due to stress. Still, with the support of her family and school she pulled through, earning an 85 percent average, high enough to secure a scholarship from the Jamaica Energy Partners Group.

The Jamaica Energy Partners (JEP) scholarship programme has been supporting exceptional PEP students in specific areas of Jamaica since 1997. The scholarships are payable per semester and we will re-award the full amount until the completion of study, once students maintain a B+ average. The initiative is part of a wider education-focused effort by the JEP and its affiliates, including West Kingston Power Partners and Jamaica Private Power Company, to invest in the academic growth of youth across communities they serve.

In addition to the scholarship, Odarie secured a placement at her third-choice school, Denbigh High. When it was time to choose schools, the decision was made as a family. Her mother, Omalyn Simpson-Turner, explained with unwavering pride: “St. Jago High is her dad’s alma mater, so we said let’s make that your first choice. Then we put Ardenne High and then Denbigh High which is a really great school so I feel good about her pass. She’s always been a 90s and 100s student, always topping her class from grade one straight to grade six. So when she didn’t get her first choice, I told her ‘Bloom wherever you’re planted’. I am very proud of her and not just me, all her siblings and her father, everyone.” 

Despite Denbigh High not being nearby and is located in another parish, the family is not concerned about the distance. “She’s not a child who goes many places, so I took her along to collect her package and show her the steps. I asked if she thought she could manage it, and she said yes,” said the proud mother of four.

As the baby of the family, Odarie is the first to earn a scholarship. “I’m very elated, very thankful to God,” Simpson-Turner added. “This will help us financially and carry us a far way.”

The mother-daughter duo was meticulous in their preparation. From creating home timetables to practicing with past papers on YouTube. Simpson-Turner ensured her daughter attended extra lessons at school and is grateful for the academic reinforcement they provided. For them, PEP preparation was treated as team work – even while Simpson-Turner juggled her full-time production job at Jamaica Broilers Group.

“I’d call her from work and ask, ‘did you follow the timetable we made?’ She’d say, ‘yes, mommy’. We kept to a structure. That made all the difference.” Now, as her daughter prepares for the next chapter, Simpson-Turner is already setting expectations.

“I told her not to drop the ball. Denbigh is a very competitive high school and I want her to stay on the same path. Her books come first, even while enjoying herself.”

Beyond the classroom, she has a passion for makeup and a dream of becoming a lawyer one day — a career path inspired by her naturally talkative personality and her classmates always turning to her in times of trouble. “I was told that I talk a lot,” Odarie giggles, “and when anything happened in the class, my classmate always come to me to help them out.”

When asked what her favourite subject is, Odarie answered “science, because I get to do a lot of experiments with my teachers”. Alongside her academic interests, she’s also eager to continue playing netball — a sport she led as team captain at the Spring Gardens Primary School. She was initially drawn to Denbigh High because of its strong netball programme.

“I’m excited to meet my new teachers and gain new knowledge,” she added.

As she prepares to enter high school, the message from her mother remains simple but powerful: “Bloom wherever you’re planted.”