Donovan Aldington Shaw was born on September 25, 1951 in Rollington Town, Kingston, Jamaica to Mr. Vincent Shaw (Police Captain) and Millicent Pessoa Shaw. Donovan was the youngest of three children, older brother Michael Shaw and eldest sister Beverly “Joy” Shaw.
As a young boy he attended St. Aloysius primary school. When Donovan was seven, his father passed away and it became difficult for his mother to send all three children to school. Luckily, Donovan and his brother worked hard and scored high on their exams and were able to attend Kingston College on a full scholarship.
He enjoyed Science, Physics, and learning Latin; but most of all, loved writing essays and short stories. He graduated KC in 1969 and went on to pursue his love for writing at Hamilton College in New York, where he studied English. He transferred from Hamilton and continued his education at City College in NYC. Donovan made every effort to ensure that his three daughters, Makeda, Imari and Anike stayed in school, graduated college and pursued Masters and Doctorate Degrees.
He started his career at the NYC Transit Authority making an honest living working as a cleaner. He quickly moved up the ranks and was promoted to eventually become Train Dispatcher Supervisor – a position he excelled in until his untimely death on May 25, 2014. Throughout work, Donovan always remained true to early KC teachings that emphasized hard work and determination as the pathway to success.
Donovan believed in Jamaican national pride and KC school pride. Although he moved to the U.S. when he was 18, he never forgot where he came from. He was never ashamed of his Jamaican heritage and Rasta identity. He would always say, “I don’t need a flag on my car or a Jamaican T-shirt for people to know I’m Jamaican. When they look at me, they just know…” Perhaps it was the way he walked, the way he talked, his long flowing dreads, or just the way he carried himself, but everyone knew he was Jamaican.
Donovan’s love for Kingston College never wavered. As a proud alma mater, he kept and cherished his purple and white school tie, although it could not fit, and continued to support his school at yearly Penn Relays events in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He also frequented the Girls and Boys Champs in Kingston to cheer on his school team.
He always said, “Kingston College prepared me for college and beyond,” because KC prided itself in turning boys into men through hard work and self-discipline. As a lover of knowledge, Donovan acquired information on a wide variety of subjects, and always attributed this love for learning from the education he received at KC.
The Donovan A. Shaw Memorial Scholarship fund will be awarded to student(s) most committed to learning and achieving academic excellence. Student(s) who possesses a propensity to do their best despite economic hardship and able to uphold school conduct policy. We know the recipient of the Donovan A. Shaw Scholarship will Love and Cherish KC, the way Donovan and all the “KC Old Boys” do.