The United States Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award is to be bestowed on Jamaican immigrant Rev Dr Marilyn Grant at a ceremony in Connecticut on December 11, 2021.
The annual award seeks to hounour people “who exhibit outstanding character, work ethic, and dedication to their communities”, and was established by executive order by former President George W Bush in 2003.
Grant has been involved in charitable and religious work for over a decade, helping displaced women, in particular, “to get a second chance of a good education, build self-esteem, and find affordable housing” among other notable programmes.
A member of the Church of God denomination for more than 18 years, Rev Grant says she continues to be part of that religious entity, even after launching her own Women for Christ Outreach Ministries. She also runs a programme mentoring women and men, which she hosts at the University of Connecticut.
The Hopewell, St Mary, native who attended Marlborough Primary and Richmond Secondary (now Richmond Technical High) schools in the parish, holds a Master of Arts degree in Divinity from the Heart and Bible Institute University (HBIU) in Connecticut and a Doctorate in Theology from the same institution.
Most of her work, she said, is undertaken through Women for Christ Ministries, a non-profit organisation, which she serves as executive director. Rev Dr Grant also disclosed that she is involved in offering scholarships to needy students through The Marilyn Grant Scholarship Programme.
She also plans to replicate the programme to benefit students at Marlborough primary.
Rev Grant, who migrated to the United States in 1985, said she was “grateful for the education I received at Marlborough early in my life. It helped to shape who I am”. For that reason, “I am determined to assist at least one student currently attending the school.”
The Life Time awardee who also servers as a member of the faculty and staff of her alma mater, Heart Bible Institute University (HBIU), is also involved in measures aimed at reducing the spread of the novel coronavirus.