U. S. J amai caPar t ner shi pEmpower i ng St udent sandSt r engt heni ngCommuni t i es
TheU. S. Embassyi nKi ngst oni sdel i ght edt ocongr at ul at eChr i st el HouseJ amai caoni t sf i f t hanni ver sar yandt he r i bboncut t i ngofi t snewl yconst r uct edhi ghschool i nSpani shTown. Thi smi l est onei sar emar k abl eachi evementand apower f ul t est amentt ot hevi si onandcommi t mentt hatf i r sti nspi r edChr i st el House, f oundedbyAmer i canbusi ness l eaderandphi l ant hr opi st , Chr i st el DeHaan, whobel i eveddeepl yi nt hepowerofeducat i ont oupl i f tl i vesandt r ansf or m communi t i es. I nj ustf i veyear s, Chr i st el HouseJ amai cahasbecomeabeaconofhope, ser vi ngmor et han400st udent sf r om under r esour cedcommuni t i es. I tpr ovi desnotonl yaccesst oqual i t yeducat i on, butal soahol i st i cmodel ofcar et hat suppor t sst udent s’ soci al , emot i onal , andper sonal devel opment . Byequi ppi ngyoungpeopl ewi t ht het ool st or eal i z e t hei rpot ent i al , Chr i st el Housei sshapi ngl eader swhowi l l hel pbui l dast r onger , mor er esi l i entJ amai ca. Thi swor kr ef l ect st hever ybestoft heU. S. –J amai capar t ner shi p: apar t ner shi pt hati sr oot edi nashar edcommi t ment t ocr eat i ngsaf er , mor epr osper oussoci et i eswher eever ychi l dhast heoppor t uni t yt osucceed. Onbehal fofEmbassyKi ngst on, I commendChr i st el HouseJ amai ca’ sext r aor di nar yj our ney, i t sdedi cat edst af fand suppor t er s, andmostofal l i t sst udent s. Mayt hi snew chapt erbef i l l edwi t hcont i nuedgr owt h, empower ment , and t r ansf or mat i onf orgener at i onst ocome.
I ti swi t hgr eatpr i deanddeepappr eci at i ont hatI ext endhear t f el tcongr at ul at i onst oChr i st el HouseJ amai caont he j oyousoccasi onofyour5t hAnni ver sar y. Thi ssi gni f i cantmi l est onei snotj ustacel ebr at i onoft hepassi ngofyear s, butapower f ul t est amentt ot heunwaver i ng commi t ment , r esi l i ence, andvi si ont hatChr i st el Houseembodi esi ni t smi ssi ont oeducat e, upl i f t , andt r ansf or mt hel i ves oft hechi l dr enandf ami l i esofSt . Cat her i ne. Theest abl i shmentofChr i st el Housei nJ amai cai sar emar k abl econt r i but i ont oourpar i shSt . Cat her i neandt oJ amai ca atl ar ge. Whent heyopenedt hei rdoor si nt heyear2020att hepeakoft heCovi d1 9pandemi c, whensever al peopl ewer e f aci ngsever ehar dshi p, duet ol ossofj obsandheavyr est r i ct i ons, Chr i st el Housecameasabeaconofl i ghtt omany i mpover i shedf ami l i es. Fi veyear sl at er , t hei r5t hanni ver sar y-t heyar eof f i ci al l yopeni ngt hei rhi ghschool . Thi si sar emar k abl eachi evement . I wantt oappl audt headmi ni st r at i onofChr i st el Housef ort hehar dwor kanddedi cat i ont heyhaveputi novert hepast f i veyear s. Yourcommi t mentt odevel opi ngyoungmi ndsandbyext ensi onchangi ngl i vesdoesnotgounnot i ced. Your passi onandvi si ont ocont i nueser vi ngwi t ht hi sexpansi oni swel comed. I k now youwi l l cont i nuet het r emendouswor k you’ r edoi ngi nourpar i sht obestser ver esi dent s. Fort hepast5year s, Chr i st el HouseJ amai cahasbeenabeaconofhopeandasymbol ofpur posef ul i nt er vent i oni nour educat i onsect or . Youhavecr eat edanur t ur i ng, i ncl usi ve, andempower i ngenvi r onmentwher echi l dr en—f r om under ser vedanddi sadvant agedcommuni t i es—ar egi venaccesst oqual i t yeducat i onf r eeofcost . Thati snosmal l f eat . I nawor l dwher eeducat i oni sst i l l apr i vi l egef ort oomany, Chr i st el Househasbol dl ydecl ar edt hatever ychi l ddeser ves achance—achancet ol ear n, t odr eam, t ogr ow, andt osucceed. AsMayoroft hepar i shofSt . Cat her i ne, I havehadt heoppor t uni t yt owi t nessf i r st handt heposi t i vei mpactyour i nst i t ut i onhashadoncount l essf ami l i es. Ther i ppl eef f ectofyourwor kext endsf arbeyondt hewal l sofyourcl assr ooms. Byi nvest i ngi nt hehol i st i cdevel opmentofouryoungpeopl e—pr ovi di ngnotonl yacademi ci nst r uct i onbutal sol i f esk i l l s, heal t hcar e, nut r i t i on, char act erdevel opment , andcont i nuedsuppor tevenaf t ergr aduat i on—Chr i st el Housei shel pi ng t obr eakt hecycl eofpover t yandl ayi ngt hef oundat i onf orabr i ght er , mor eequi t abl eJ amai ca. Thi snobl ewor kcoul dnotbeaccompl i shedwi t houtt hededi cat i onandpassi onofyourvi si onar yl eader shi p, your commi t t edst af f , yourgener ousdonor s, andyourhar dwor k i ngst udent s. I sal ut eyourt i r el essef f or t s, yourcour agei n conf r ont i ngsyst emi cchal l enges, andyourst eadf astbel i efi nt hepot ent i al ofever ychi l dwhowal k st hr oughyourgat es. I al sowi sht ocommendt heChr i st el Housef ami l yf orf ost er i ngacul t ur eofexcel l ence, i nt egr i t y, andser vi ce. Thesear e val uesweneedmor et haneveri nt oday’ ssoci et y. I nat i mewhenouryout har ebombar dedbynegat i vei nf l uencesand di scour agedbyl i mi t edoppor t uni t i es, i nst i t ut i onsl i k eChr i st el Houseser veassanct uar i esofi nspi r at i onandpossi bi l i t y. L etusal sot ak eamomentt ohonort hel i f eandl egacyofChr i st el DeHaan, t hevi si onar yf ounderofChr i st el House I nt er nat i onal , whosecompassi onandgener osi t yhavel ef tani ndel i bl emar knotonl yher ei nSt . Cat her i nebutar ound t hewor l d. Herbel i eft hateducat i oni st hemostpower f ul t ool f orchangecont i nuest ogui deandempowert hemi ssi onof Chr i st el House. Aswecel ebr at et hi sanni ver sar y, l eti tser veasar emi ndert hatt hej our neyi songoi ng. Ther ei sst i l l mor ewor kt obe done. Butwi t ht hef oundat i onyouhavebui l t , andwi t ht hecont i nuedsuppor tofourcommuni t y, gover nment , and pr i vat esect orpar t ner s, I am conf i dentt hatChr i st el HouseJ amai cawi l l cont i nuet ogr ow i nr each, i ni mpact , andi n excel l ence. Onbehal foft heMuni ci pal Cor por at i onofSt . Cat her i ne, t hepeopl eoft hi sgr eatpar i sh, andf r om myownhear t , I ext end mysi ncer estt hank sandbestwi shes. Mayyoucont i nuet oshi neasal i ghti nt hel i vesofourchi l dr enandser veasan exampl eofwhatcanbeachi evedwhencompassi on, pur pose, andact i onmeet . Congr at ul at i onsonceagai nonyour5t hAnni ver sar y. Mayt heyear saheadbr i ngevengr eat ersuccess, deeperi mpact , andcont i nuedbl essi ngs.