Born November 5, 1995, in Miramar, Florida, Sachia Vickery is one of the most promising young players in American tennis. Her Guyanese mother, Paula Liverpool, formerly of Kwakwani on the Berbice River, has made many sacrifices to facilitate the career of Sachia, which is now paying off with her daughter rising to be among the top junior players in the United States and the world. Sachia started off on the track with older boys and…
Ms. Valerie Rodway (1919-1970) was a teacher and Guyanese composer. She is best known for her national songs, which include, “O Beautiful Guyana,” “Kanaïma,” “Hymn for Guyana’s Children,” “Arise, Guyana,” and “Guyana the Free. She also put to music the famed Guyanese independence poem by Martin Carter, “Let Freedom Awaken.” Ms. Rodway was a member of one of those families whose contributions to Guyana are still evident. Her father, Newton Berthier Fraser was born in…
GUYANA’S good streak at international pageants this year is continuing, with well-known make-up artist, turned pageant contestant, Tenisha Garnett-Billington, winning the Mrs Tourism International crown two weeks ago at The Theater Center in New York, New York. After representing as Miss Tourism International Guyana, the 23-year-old beauty bested 12 other contestants to collect the crown, donning a stunning Derek Moore turtleneck evening gown. “I was just so surprised when I won because I felt super…
Grace Nichols is a Guyanese poet. She was born in Georgetown, Guyana in 1950, the fifth of seven children. She was raised in the village of Highdam and attended the school where her father worked as headmaster and her mother taught piano lessons. At age eight she moved with her family to Georgetown, and at age sixteen she left high school with the hope of becoming a teacher. Earning a degree in communications at the University…
For those of us who have emigrated from Guyana, Demerara Gold is a refreshing reminder of the expectation, excitement and anxiety that we experience in our journey to join our families in America. I recently had the pleasure of sitting in the front row to watch Ingrid Griffith, the star of Demerara Gold, as she seamlessly transformed into a slew of characters and captivated the audience with her raw emotions and hilarious depictions of events from her…
“Winner are not people who never fail, but people who never quit” and Lisa Punch keeps on winning. The model/singer/songwriter who represented Guyana at the 2015 Miss World Pageant in Sanya, China beat out her fellow contestants earlier this week and made history for Guyana when she performed one of her original songs and won the Talent category of the Competition. Per missworld.com, “Miss Guyana received a standing ovation from her fellow contestants and the…
This past weekend the people of Guyana felt a sense of pride as Rafieya Aasieya Husain became the first Guyanese in over 40 years to place at the Miss World Pageant. The 22-year-old beauty queen, who is a native of Essequibo County, was one of the top 10 Finalists named at the Miss World competition finale held on Sunday at the Excel London ICC Auditorium. Rafieya also won the ‘Beauty With a Purpose Title’, which…
Aliann Pompey is a Guyanese sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres. She has represented Guyana at the Summer Olympics on four separate occasions (2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012). She has competed at the World Championships in Athletics five times. Born in Georgetown, Guyana, she moved to the United States at the age of 14 and graduated from Cohoes High School, and then Manhattan College in The Bronx, New York City. Initially uninterested in track…
Nyack College’s 2015 Valedictorian: From Guyana to Morgan Stanley Nyack College’s 2015 Valedictorian: From Guyana to Morgan Stanley
Last night was the much anticipated coronation ceremony for the 2016 Miss World Guyana Beauty Pageant and of the seven finalists, 25-year-old Nuriyyih Kama Gerrard emerged the winner of the coveted title. The talented Radio Personality, who presented Potaro-Siparuni (region 8), is co-host of the popular 94.1 Boom FM “Jumpstart” Morning Show. She also won the talent segment of the competition. The names “Nuriyyih Kama” which are Arabic in origin and mean ‘Light’ and ‘Perfection’ respectively, were bestowed on the beauty queen by her father,…
In a once unthinkable career for women, aviation in modern times has seen a multitude of females excelling in the field. One such example is US-based Guyanese (Captain) Beverley Drake, who knocked down the stereotype in her aviation career to prove that women can do a man’s job. Beverley, who grew up in Georgetown, in an interview with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine revealed that her father always wanted her to become a pilot, so he…
Mrs. Sita Nagamootoo, the wife of Guyana’s newly elected Prime, Moses Nagamootoo, says that women must be given a greater role to play in the development of Guyana and she is convinced that they will get a better deal under APNU+AFU administration. “Education is her pet concern, having been a teacher for some 35 years, a headmistress and lecturer at the Cyril Potter’s College of Education for teachers.” This is according to a recent statement made by…
At the young age of 8, Anaya Lee Willabus will go down in US history as the youngest published female author of a chapter book. She was born in Brooklyn, NY to Guyanese parents, Dimple and Winston Willabus of Georgetown. Anaya’s book, The Day Mohan Found His Confidence, tells the story of a young boy named Mohan and the many challenges he faces at home and at school. On June 9th, 2015, Anaya was recognized by Guyanese-born New York State…
This Sunday, June 22, at 9pm, Guyanese recording artist Lisa Punch will be a Rising Star contestant on ABC Television. Please go to your Smartphone’s app store to download Rising Star app so that you can vote for her. Get more information about the show at http://abc.go.com/shows/rising-star. Let us help this Guyanese Girl to win! Make sure you watch the show and vote. Voting is live and the window to vote is short, so you…
A mother, an investor, and an Associate Broker with THE SERHANT TEAM of Nest Seekers International, Sara Golan knows that the foundation of any successful relationship comes from empathy and trust. It is why she treats each of her clients—whether they be a first-time home buyer, a private seller, or a multi-million dollar developer—as a genuine partner, using her vast wealth of knowledge and experience to guide them in a way that makes sense for…