Dinthill PSA President Howard Simmonds, who views his role as a masterclass in service, patience, and faith.
From rising high in the Schools’ Challenge Quiz to shining on the badminton courts and singing stages, Dinthill Technical High School is undeniable right now. The school is buzzing, the Maroon and Gold pride is at an all-time high, and Dinthill is firmly cementing its place as a powerhouse in the Jamaican public sphere.
But behind every great school is a powerful network of past students keeping the engine running.
To get an insider’s look at this incredible renaissance, we spoke with Howard Simmonds, President of the Dinthill Past Students Association (PSA) in Jamaica. In this exclusive Q&A, we dive into the secret behind Dinthill’s wave of excellence, the reality of managing a global alumni ecosystem, and what to expect from the highly anticipated annual Gala Dinner & Dance on Saturday, August 15th.
Whether you are a proud past student living in Jamaica, a member of the vibrant diaspora, or a friend of the institution, read on to find out how Dinthill is punching way above its weight—and how you can play a part in this ongoing success story.
Leadership & Legacy
“Dinthill shaped us, and now it’s our turn to shape Dinthill. Every student we help is a return on that investment.”
Q: How long have you served as president of the Dinthill PSA, and what has this journey been like for you personally?
A: I’ve had the honor of serving the Dinthill PSA as Secretary for four years, and 2026 marks my first year as President. This journey has been humbling and deeply rewarding. I am constantly encouraged and strengthened by an absolutely amazing Executive Team and our dedicated committee members.
Personally, it’s been a masterclass in service, patience, and faith. Leading the PSA means you’re not just managing an organization—you’re holding the hopes of past students, current students, teachers, and parents in your hands. The late nights, the challenges, and the wins all remind me why we do this: because Dinthill shaped us, and now it’s our turn to shape Dinthill. Every student we help is a return on that investment.
Q: For our readers, what is the core difference in function between the Dinthill PSA and the Dinthill Alumni Association Jamaica?
A: In practical terms, there is no difference. “Past Student” and “Alumni” mean the same thing. The Dinthill Past Students Association Limited is the official registered charitable organization incorporated in Jamaica. Over the years, the Association has also been referred to as the Dinthill Alumni Association Jamaica, and that name has appeared in some of our publications and online platforms.
To avoid any confusion, the Association is now taking steps to consistently use its official registered name, Dinthill Past Students Association Limited, in all formal communications.
The Association serves as the umbrella organization for a global network of Dinthill alumni. This includes overseas chapters in Florida, Georgia, New York, the United Kingdom, and Canada, alongside active graduating year groups and other alumni circles around the world. Whether working independently or collaboratively, we are united by one common purpose: to support the development, advancement, and continued maintenance of our alma mater, while remaining true to the school’s motto: Facta Non Verba—Deeds Not Words.
School Excellence & Impact
Q: From the Sing-Off competition, Badminton and to the Schools’ Challenge Quiz, Dinthill is dominating the public sphere lately. What do you attribute this sudden rise in excellence to?
A: It’s not sudden—it’s years of intentional work finally showing up on the national stage. We attribute our current status to three distinct pillars: Leadership, Belief, and Community.
Our Principal and his “A-team” of academic, administrative, and ancillary staff set the standard for excellence and discipline. Our teachers invest heavily beyond the classroom. Crucially, the PSA and other past student groups showed up with vital resources—funding for coaches, practice materials, travel, and morale support. Just this April 2026, past students and stakeholders came together to purchase a coach bus, improving transportation efficiency for staff and students by 55 percent.
Today, we proudly boast Jamaica’s No. 1 School Band, No. 1 School Choir, No. 1 Boys’ Badminton Team, leadership in regional agricultural programs, and the distinction of being the first technical high school to reach the semi-finals of the National Schools’ Challenge Quiz.
When students believe the whole Dinthill family is standing firmly behind them, they play to win. That confidence is exactly what you’re seeing now.
“Our core job is simple: remove the word ‘no’ from in front of any student with talent. When you eliminate barriers, excellence has room to grow.”
Q: How integral is the PSA to daily life at Dinthill, and how exactly have you fueled the school’s recent success stories?
A: The PSA is woven directly into the fabric of daily life at Dinthill. We have established a physical Secretariat inside the school’s administrative building, which acts as our central hub to connect with the Dinthill world. On any given week, you’re likely to see past students visiting from various global chapters and year groups.
We currently support a daily breakfast program that we established, top up student bursaries, repair classrooms, expand and modernize the agricultural farm program, provide campus WiFi, expand sports facilities, and respond rapidly to emergency needs.
For the recent competitive wins: we don’t take credit, we take responsibility. Past students funded the rigorous Schools’ Challenge Quiz training camp. We provided high-quality equipment for both the badminton and music programs. We assisted with transportation logistics and team uniforms. Our core job is simple: remove the word “no” from in front of any student with talent. When you eliminate barriers, excellence has room to grow.
Q: As someone with boots on the ground in Jamaica, would you say Dinthill is punching below, at, or way above its weight right now?
A: I would say way above its weight. We are a rural technical high school competing with—and beating—many of Jamaica’s largest and most established traditional high schools on the national stage. While our resources may be more limited, our students, teachers, and wider Dinthill family continue to demonstrate what can be achieved through hard work, discipline, and community support.
Our confidence is not based on emotion alone. The Jamaica Education Transformation Commission, chaired by Professor Orlando Patterson of Harvard University, introduced a value-added model. This model assesses schools not only on raw examination results but also on the absolute progress students make during their time at school, taking into account their unique backgrounds and circumstances. Using that composite measure, Dinthill Technical High School was ranked the number one non-traditional secondary school in Jamaica.
With all the wins we’ve had, that recognition tells us something profoundly important: Dinthill is not simply producing good results—we are transforming lives.
Are there still needs? Absolutely. But what we have achieved with our available resources demonstrates that Dinthill’s greatest strength has never been its budget—it has always been its people. Imagine what we can accomplish when even more past students, partners, and friends join us on this journey.
Events & Community
Q: The annual Dinner & Dance is coming up on Saturday, August 15th. What is the primary fundraising goal for this year’s event?
A: This year’s primary goal is to raise $2 million JMD to target three critical areas:
- The Student Nutrition & Wellness Fund: To expand our essential breakfast and lunch support programs.
- The Canteen Upgrade: To upgrade the catering facilities and create a safer, more dignified dining space for our students.
- Scholarships & Bursaries: To ensure no child ever misses school due to financial constraints.
Every ticket sold for August 15th is a direct investment in a Dinthill student walking into class ready to succeed.
Q: What do these social events mean to past students, and do they provide a reliable, long-term stream of support for the current student body?
A: These events mean “home.” For many who live abroad or in different parishes across Jamaica, the Gala Dinner & Dance is where we reconnect, laugh, and remember who we are. It’s nostalgia with a clear purpose.
And yes, they are vital. Events like this, combined with our global chapter and year group events, are the most reliable source of unrestricted funds we have. They allow us to respond quickly when a roof leaks or a student faces an emergency. Long-term, we are working toward building a permanent endowment fund, but for now—fellowship fuels the mission.
Global Network & The Future
Q: How do you collaborate with chapters abroad? Do you see the global network of PSAs as one interconnected ecosystem, or are groups mostly working in silos?
A: We are absolutely one ecosystem, by design, and our camaraderie is building even tighter. We utilize instant communication networks like WhatsApp to share information seamlessly among global chapters and year groups. We actively share our fundraising calendars so that we are never competing, but rather complementing one another.
For example, the Florida Chapter hosts an elegant Spring Ball, the Class of 1976 is celebrating its milestone 50th anniversary, the New York Chapter hosts an annual boat ride, Team Facta runs a specialized Dinner & Dance, and the Friends of Dinthill leads our crucial Medical Mission. Dinthill PSA Jamaica, alongside presidents and international group leaders, coordinates constantly to ensure maximum global benefit is achieved. When one chapter wins, we all win. That “help each other find their balloon” mindset is exactly how we operate now.
Q: Many international alumni groups struggle with relevance and dropping numbers. How has the Jamaican PSA maintained its momentum and successfully attracted younger members?
A: We simply met them where they are. We do this through three approaches:
- Show Direct Impact: Every year, the PSA hosts an awards ceremony where students scoring high academic averages are recognized. In the past four years, the number of awardees has doubled. Young alumni see these real results and are inspired to pay it forward.
- Give Them Immediate Ownership: We actively participate in the 6th Form retreat, where we encourage graduating senior students to transition directly into the PSA while sharing their own ideas on surviving the real world. We are creating active roles for them inside the Secretariat where they can learn to assist past and current students. We are even encouraging a “Now Students Association” to build an even smoother transition into the Past Students Association.
- Make it Social and Purposeful: Our school band and choir perform like seasoned professionals at our events. Such service is now the price of admission, but community is what keeps them truly committed. Young Dinthillians don’t want to just give—they want to belong and build.
Q: To wrap up, what can our readers—both past students and friends of Dinthill—do today to support the cause?
A: Three simple things:
- Show Up: Buy a ticket for August 15th. Bring a friend. Your presence is power.
- Give Consistently: A monthly donation of even $1,000 JMD goes much further than a one-time big gift. Consistency builds schools.
- Share Your Time: Mentor a student. Judge a competition. Share a job opportunity.
If you can’t give money, give time. If you can’t give time, give your voice.
“Dinthill gave us a solid foundation. Now let’s be the ones who hold it up for the next generation.”
Dinthill gave us a solid foundation. Now let’s be the ones who hold it up for the next generation.
Dinthill celebrates 88 years of existence in 2026, yet our best years are still ahead of us. We have begun building a culture where excellence is expected, service is celebrated, and every single student believes that greatness is within their reach.
This year, we are proud to honor two outstanding groups at our Gala Banquet:
- The Class of 1976: Marking 50 years since their graduation. They recently built and unveiled a magnificent 130-seat sports pavilion for the school.
- The Friends of Dinthill Medical Mission: Celebrating 10 years of providing essential back-to-school medical, dental, and vision services. They treat 3,000 students across 15 schools in 6 parishes annually. At an average valuation of $6,000 JMD per child, their real economic impact is a massive $18,000,000 JMD annually.
My hope is that, in the years ahead, Dinthill will be recognized not only for producing outstanding graduates and being one of Jamaica’s leading technical institutions, but also as a global model of what can be achieved when a school, its alumni, its teachers, its students, and its wider community work together with one shared purpose.
The PSA is entirely committed to playing its part in that journey, but this is bigger than any one organization or any one president. It is about building a legacy that every Dinthillian can be proud to inherit and proud to leave behind.
We encourage everyone reading this to join the journey, open your heart, and support this year’s Gala Dinner & Dance on August 15th. Support us, and you will be supporting the next cohort of One Maroon. And, as our association’s motto says: We’re Dreamers; Thinkers; Doers—we’re One Maroon.
Check out the official event flyer below for all the key details—including date, time, venue, and ticket pricing. Grab your tickets early, bring a friend, and let’s make sure Dinthill keeps punching way above its weight for years to come.
Event: Dinthill PSA Annual Dinner & Dance
Date and Time: Saturday, August 15, 2026 at 6:00pm
Location: The S Hotel
Ticket Price: $95.00 US or $15,000.00 JMD
Fuel the Fire: Keep the Dinthill Legacy Alive!
There is no denying it: the Maroon and Gold spirit is unstoppable right now. But as we’ve learned, maintaining this level of elite excellence takes more than just school pride—it takes active, boots-on-the-ground support from every single one of us.
Whether you are local or in the diaspora, you have a vital role to play in this success story.
The absolute best way to show your support, reconnect with old friends, and directly fund the next generation of Dinthill champions is by showing up for the biggest night of the year. Get ready to dress up, step out, and dance for a cause at this year’s annual Gala Dinner & Dance!
Facta Non Verba!
Judy McNeil
A passionate voice in the JMC Media community, sharing stories that matter.
