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

The newly appointed board member of the American Caribbean Maritime Foundation (ACMF), a Westchester-based charitable organization, is setting sights on increasing the group’s mission for the next generation of Caribbean youth. Michelle Nicholas, who is the vice president of development at Westchester Family Services, said she was bringing her passion and economical skills to help increase interest in Caribbean maritime. A native of Guyana, Nicholas said she was exposed to the maritime industry at a…

Congratulations Yvette Irving and daughter, Darcy George, grand prize winners of the “My Guyanese Mom Rock Contest! Runner up contestants Odetta Abiola Young and Angela McPherson will also each receive a GGR T-shirt. .

Originally from Jamaica, Queens, New York, Tracy Antoinette Greene Douglas now resides in the black water region of Madewini Creek, along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway in Guyana.  A naturalized Guyanese, Tracy co-founded “Pandama Retreat, Winery and Center for the Creative Arts” with her husband, Warren Douglas, who is a native of South Ruimveldt in Georgetown.  Following a 2009 visit to Guyana, Tracy’s spirit led her to leave her then North Carolina home behind and relocate with…

Dr. Padmanee Sharma is a leading figure in Oncology.  She currently holds Dual/Joint/Adjunct Appointments as Professor in the Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology and Professor in the Department of Immunology, Division of Cancer Medicine at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr.  Sharma specializes in renal, bladder and prostate cancer. Her prime focus is to understand the mechanisms and pathways within the immune system responsible for tumor rejection. Since 2005 she has been…

Roxanne Jacqueline Persaud was elected to the  New York State Assembly in November 2014. In January, 2015 she was sworn in as the first female, first black, first Guyanese to hold the position of Assembly member for the 59th Assembly District in Brooklyn, New York . Assemblywoman Persaud is a longtime advocate for her community and an avid volunteer. Her dedication to serving her community has motivated her to serve in various capacities. Assemblywoman Persaud …

Meet Nickolette Emptage. She’s originally from Linden and now lives in New York. Nickolette is an honor student with a 95 average at Martin Van Buren High School in Queens and is the second captain of the school’s soccer team. Nickolette says she’s “repping” for 592! She Rocks! .

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recently announced the appointment of Catherine Pollard of Guyana as Under-Secretary-General for General Assembly and Conference Management. She will succeed Tegegnework Gettu of Ethiopia, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for his dedicated service and able leadership. Since 2014, Pollard served as Assistant Secretary-General for General Assembly and Conference Management, prior to which she served as Assistant Secretary-General for Human Resources Management from 2008 to 2014.  She was previously Chief of Staff…

Nine-year-old award winning author and poet, Anaya Lee Willabus, will be launching her second book, ‘A Bully’s Disguise.’  Anaya Lee published her first book ‘The Day Mohan Found His Confidence,’ at the age of 8, which earned her five awards, as well as local and international recognition for her outstanding literary contribution. A Bully’s Disguise, sheds light on peer pressure and how it may influence one’s decision in elementary school.  Mohan, the nine year old…

The much anticipated Marvel Studios’ Black Panther movie is just 2 weeks away from hitting theatres on February 16th, and we’re so proud see one of our very own light up the big screen.  Last night stars turned out for the Black Panther world premiere at L.A.’s Dolby Theatre and Letitia Wright was a red carpet favorite. The 24 year old actress, who was born in Guyana and raised in London,  plays the role of Shuri the technologically proficient…

Domestic Violence Awareness! When you allow yourself to be dominated by someone else, you begin to lose respect for yourself. You become silently enraged, both at …the person who is dominating you and at yourself for allowing the domination. Someone else is in control of your life, just as assuredly as if you were a slave obeying orders. Stop doing this to yourself!’ “Reflect on how much pain you’ve suffered, and remember your abuser’s broken…

Eight girls were among the top 15 performers of the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) Examination in Guyana.   Saskia Twahir of the School of Nations scored the highest in the entire country with 524 out of 529 marks. Below are the results of the 8 young women who scored the highest. Saskia Twahir – 524 marks “I am ecstatic; all of my hard work for six years has finally paid off,” said 12-year-old Saskia who…

Afuwa Granger is a visual artist, writer, and poet who uses her work to construct a visual language around intersections of identity, particularly race and gender. She was born in Guyana to current President, David Granger and First Lady, Sandra Granger.  Afuwa studied in Jamaica at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, and lives and creates her artwork in Vancouver, Canada. Afuwa’s  art is based on her family photos and the idea of the immigrant…

Abigail Ulana Wade of (Abigailwadehairmakeupnails) is a New York-based Guyanese makeup artist with the hope of becoming the next celebrity hair stylist/makeup artist. This is her Photo entry to the Hello London Global Makeup Competition and your votes will definitely help her on this quest. Voting is daily (http://woobox.com/gemukx) until October. Click on the “Vote” button at the top right corner of page, locate “THIS” photo, then VOTE! Before moving to NY, Abigail was a…

Meet Domini Alleyne, 2014 Miss Barbados Senior Fitness Queen. The 30 year old fitness model, who reings from Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo and Den Amstel West Coast Demerara in Guyana, migrated to Barbados at age 13. She later returned to Guyana and in 2011 worked briefly for the local HJTV television channel and was also a fashion model. However, chronic overeating following a failed marriage propelled Domini to embark on her fitness journey. Here’s Domini…

Grace Aneiza Ali is the founder and editor of  OfNoteMagazine.org, an online magazine that celebrates people of color in the arts. She was born in Guyana and moved to the United States when she was fourteen years old. Having grown up surrounded by a culture of illiteracy among women, she is committed to the work of educating girls in developing nations. Grace launched Of Note in 2009 as a platform to honor “artists whose work values compassion,…