Recipient of the Governor-General's Achievement Awards for the parish of St. James, Mrs. Dorcas Roye, receiving her award from Governor-General Professor Kenneth Hall, at a ceremony at the Holiday Inn Sun Spree Resort in Montego Bay on Thursday, September 21. - Photos by Noel Thompson

When Dorcas Roye was presented with the Governor-General's Achievement Award at a ceremony recently, she said that the gesture had put the awardees 'on top of the world.'

Mrs. Roye, an educator, is the St. James recipient of the Governor-General's Achievement Awards Scheme (GGAAS) for 2006. "I believe that over the years we (the awardees) realised that there was always work to be done," she said, adding that she felt proud to be among the younger people who were also awarded by the Governor-General Professor Kenneth Hall.

"I feel very honoured. Receiving an award are among the little things that encourage people. I think the scheme should be continued. I am happy I got it before I die."

Dorcas Leonie Roye, the last of eighteen children, was born in Mocho, St. James and now lives in Farm Heights, St. James. As a child, she was moved to Elderslie in St. Elizabeth where she sat and was successful at the Second and Third Jamaica Local Examinations.

Certificate in education

She taught as a pre-trained teacher at Hastings, Guerneys Mount, Merrywood and Vaughnsfield All-Age schools. She later attended Caledonia Junior College, and then went to the St. Joseph's Teachers' College from 1966-1968, where she received a Certificate in Education. From 1987 to 1988, she was enrolled in the Sam Sharpe Teachers' College where she obtained her diploma in Education.

In 2002, Dorcas received a scholarship from the Scotia Bank Foundation to attend the University of the West Indies, where she obtained a Bachelor of Education Degree with honours. She also received certificates for outstanding performance in leadership and service from the institution. Her hard work and dedication to education was rewarded when she was appointed principal of the Howard Cooke Primary in 2004.

This devout educator is the recipient of the 'Woman of the Year' award from the West Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. In 1985, she received the Sam Sharpe Award for service in the creative and cultural arts. In recognition of her 36 years of dedicated service to the teaching profession, Mrs. Roye was awarded the Golden Torch Award from the Jamaica Teachers' Association.