Guyanese, Roxanne Caleb, named Nyack College’s 2015 Valedictorian

Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett was born in the Amerindian Village of Santa Rosa, Guyana. She received her early education in Santa Rosa and then move to the capital Georgetown to attend a private school.  Minister Rodrigues-Birkett then left Guyana for Saskatchewan, Canada, on scholarship, to pursue studies in Business Administration and Indian Studies. Following her return to Guyana in 1993, she read successfully for a degree in Social Work at the University of Guyana, while simultaneously managing…

Kite Flying in the Village: A Guyanese Girl’s Story A Guyanese Girl’s Story is a series of short stories from my childhood. One of my favorite is “Kite Flying in the Village”. Kite flying is a family outing for many in Guyana, South America. Easter is a very special holiday in my village of Vreedenhoop in which the children of many ages make and decorate kites to fly in celebration of Easter. Another part of…

Karen Godette, MD, is a board certified radiation oncologist in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA. Dr. Godette practices general radiation oncology and specializes in breast and gynecological malignancies, prostate cancer and soft tissue sarcoma. Within these areas, her expertise is brachytherapy. Dr. Godette treats patients at Winship at Emory University Hospital Midtown where she has served as medical director since 2001. Winship Cancer Institute is Georgia’s…

Meet Makayla Harte; a 2019 Graduate to watch. Makayla is very a bright and ambitious young woman who was born to Guyanese and Jamaican parents. She recently graduated with her high school diploma then one week later during a second graduation ceremony, Makayla accepted an Associate’s Degree from Bard Early College High School making her the youngest student to graduate with an Associate’s recognition from Bard.  Not only has she been a stellar student, Makayla…

Amander Williams-Clarke is a Guyanese Sculptor/ Wood Artist based in  Bridgetown, Barbados.  Her family owned and run business, Williams Legacy, specializes in fine art creations using  indigenous wood. Born in South Ruimveldt in Guyana, Amander migrated to Barbados with her parents at age five. The art  of wood craft was passed down from generation to generation beginning with the patriarch of the family Nathaniel Williams who initially worked with straw specialising in hats, baskets, brooms,…

Future Scientist, Stony Brook University Class of 2013 Majors: Chemistry; Chemical & Molecular Engineering UNCF-Merck Science Initiative 2012 Award Recipient Dara Bobb-Semple has many accomplishments at Stony Brook – from twice being recognized for achieving a 4.0 GPA, to receiving the MARC award in fall 2011, to being elected to Tau Beta Pi Honor Society (December 2011), to recently being named a recipient of a national award, the 2012 UNCF Merck Undergraduate Science Fellowship! But…

With Easter Monday only a few days away, I thought it would be quite fitting to share this book and it’s author with you. Here’s an overview of the book and the author’s story … Overview: A Guyanese Girl’s Story is a series of short stories from my childhood. One of my favorite is “Kite Flying in the Village”. Kite flying is a family outing for many in Guyana, South America. Easter is a very…

First Day of School: Do You Want to Be My Friend?

Award winning singer/songwriter Maiko Watson brings a fresh take on soul music to the Canadian independent music scene. Whether performing with a band or minimal instrumentation, her radiant sultry voice shines through… delivering a powerful, earthy, organic sound that sets her apart from the rest. Born on April 29, 1981 in Georgetown, Guyana Maiko’s family migrated to Canada when she was just a few months old. Maiko has sung her entire life, and started singing…

US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris received her COVID-19 vaccine live on television Tuesday and urged the public to trust the process.  A mask-wearing Harris received the first of her two shots at United Medical Center, located in an area of Washington, DC with a large African-American population. Her husband Doug Emhoff was also to be vaccinated. Patricia Cummings, clinical nurse manager at United Medical Center, administered the vaccine. Cummings was born in Guyana and is…

A person’s image, manners and communication skills make the difference between mega success and average in their personal, social and business life. ~ Gloria Starr Meet Phillipa Morrish – certified Social Protocol consultant and the Founder of Etiquette Training International, New York.  Since 1999, Phillipa has worked internationally with corporations, organizations, law enforcement officers and private clients to help them become leaders in their field. She also works extensively with teens, and has been an…

Cindy A. Johnson is a professional basketball player who played for the University of Delaware and several European teams.   In 1998 and 2000, she was captain of the Guyana’s National Women’s Basketball Team during the Caricom games. A graduate of the University of Delaware, Cindy played a pivotal role in the rise of UD women’s basketball in the late 1990’s under coach Tina Martin.  She finished her career as the schools all-time leading scorer and…

Twenty five year old Rafieya Aasieya Husain was crowned Miss Universe-Guyana 2017 at the end of the first ever National Pageant to be held in the home of the Miss Universe Pageant. The former Miss World 2014 top eleven finishers and Queen of the Caribbean also romped of with the Most Elegant, Best Interview and Popularity side awards during the event held at York College Performing Arts Center in Queens, New York. Rafieya has been…

B.G. is British Guiana; Bhagee is a fiery local stew. Philippa was the second daughter in a family of six children growing up in mid-20th century in colonial Guyana. She recounts her Sisyphean trials growing up a Carrington in Lot 10, First Street, Georgetown — from the women’s battles to the neighbours that never wore clothes to the relatives who walked with their shoes in their hands. B.G. Bhagee: Memories of a Colonial Childhood About…

Waveney Ann Moore is a general assignment reporter for the Tampa Bay Times. She covers a wide range of topics in the metropolitan area, most recently the debate over the future of the St. Petersburg Pier. She was a finalist for the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for “For Their Own Good,” about abuse at Florida’s oldest reform school. The series won the Dart Award for covering trauma, the Casey Medal for exemplary reporting on children and…