Generation 2000

Shantez Rahji Stewart was born on January 6th, 1986 in Spanish Town, St. Catherine. He attended Alvernia Preparatory School, after which he enrolled as a student at the most illustrious St. George’s College.

Mr. Stewart is known for his ability to balance both academia and extra-curricular activities, and this is his basic tenet that has driven his successes in all he does. Presently enrolled at the Norman Manley Law School, Mr. Stewart’s consistent record of high level accomplishments underscores his scholastic pursuits and distinguishes him among his peers. He has fashioned a path of brilliance which includes the winning of several prominent awards, scholarships, as well as attaining first class honours in Law. Most notably, he was selected as Valedictorian for the 2011 Cave Hill graduating class.

Mr. Stewart has further ably represented the University of the West Indies at several international events including the 2010 Copenhagen Moot/Negotiation Competition, Denmark, where his strong oratory skills contributed significantly to the team’s placement as finalists on the topic regarding Access to Medicine. He has also been selected represent the Jamaica Council of Legal Education’s Norman Manley Law School in Frankfurt, Germany, at an Investment Law Moot Court Competition in March 2012.

While maintaining an impeccable academic record, Mr. Stewart has displayed extraordinary leadership capabilities during his tenure on the University Guild. His innate analytical skills and keen grasp of social issues, twinned with a genuine passion towards public service, have significantly impacted the student population while also enhancing the image of the organization both on and off the campus.

Driven by a passion for good governance and development of the nation, Mr. Stewart has already demonstrated a strong aptitude towards mobilising, motivating and advocating on behalf of his peers at the University, spearheading projects for the betterment of his fellow students under an extensive portfolio of responsibilities as Guild Vice President, Guild External Affairs Chairman, Guild Research and Response Committee Chairman and Chairman of the Guild Needy Students Fund.

Notable among his feats is his role as Chairman of the Guild Needy Students Fund for the distribution of approximately two million dollars in bursaries to students, which frames him as an individual with great financial integrity and ingenuity who displayed sound business and leadership ethics to ensure under-resourced individual could enjoy the benefits of a tertiary education. Further, Mr. Stewart’s impressive design and activation of a series of outreach and community development programmes on behalf of the Council further characterizes him as a man of honour and speaks volume to his indisputable affinity for improving the lives of those less fortunate.

So impressive has been Mr. Stewart’s level of activism that he has received national recognition as an official nominee in the Prime Minister Youth Award for Excellence in Leadership (Jamaica) and also received the Distinguished Service Awards in consecutive years from the UWI Guild of Students.

Mr. Stewart is perfectly positioned to become one of the region’s most astute legal minds, and through an unbeatable formula of hard work and sheer grit, he will continue achieving greatness while making positive influences in the world.