Dr Aston Wesley Powell

"THE late Honourable Dr Aston Wesley Powell was the inspirational and ever vigilant founder of the EXED Group of Schools which comprises of the Pre-Primary, Primary and Secondary levels, and the first and largest Community College in Jamaica, Excelsior Community College. Dr Powell was a product of Campbell Town in Kingston, Jamaica. He did not start out as the strong leader we knew him to be before his passing in 1996, but was more of a time-waster and school absentee during his Calabar Elementary School days. Many of those days were spent missing his classes while enjoying many cricket games with his friends. His life changed dramatically when his father, who was a graduate of Mico Teachers' College, returned to Jamaica after working in Cuba. After some time, Powell was ready to continue his education. Sadly, by the time he was fit to re-enter school, Powell, being 15-years-old, was too old and was refused entrance to Calabar High School. This fuelled him to start his own school for people who were too old and who were unable to afford admission to secondary schools at the standard age of 11. Dr Powell founded Excelsior on January 19, 1931 with five students on the verandah of his parents' house in Campbell Town. By the 1970s the school had grown to almost 2,000 students and was then situated on Mountain View Avenue. The institution gained government grant-in-aid status when it was acquired by the Jamaica District of the Methodist Church in 1950." http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/teenage/we-are-heroes---dr-aston-wesley-powell_8062749