Happy Birthday to Our Beautiful Guyana!

Verna Walcott-White a.k.a Teacher Verna, Ms. Verna or Ms. V is versatile, creative and is truly proficient in her field. She is passionate about her profession (dance). She began dancing at the tender age of three, under numerous famous Guyanese and International Instructors and Guru. Ms. Verna joined the Guyana School of Dance as a teenager, from its inception, under the tutelage of its founder and Director, Lavina Williams famous Haitian/American Dancer/Choreographer/Director. Ms. Verna was…

Sukree Boodram left Guyana as a teenager in 1983 for a better opportunity in the US.  Four years later she was married to the person who would become her abuser for 21 years.  Born into a Hindu family and raised to keep her personal problems to herself, Sukree never sought any help nor did she stand up to her abusive husband. A wife and mother of two, who strongly embraced her cultural and traditional beliefs,…

Meet Melabeu Cheriece,  Professional Model, Actress & Bikini Bodybuilding Competitor.  She’s the daughter of Guyanese author and Beterverwagting native, Adrianna Rose,  who recently published the novel Trapped in the Middle. Melabeu began competing in August, 2012 and has fallen in love with the bikini bodybuilding sport. During her teenage years she won the Miss New Jersey Perfect Teen Pageant and has grown in the performing arts, professionally.  She is very passionate about health and fitness…

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…

You cannot always count on everyone to support your dreams, but having people in your circle who are constantly exuding negative energy can be quite exhausting and discouraging. We all need friends in our corner, even a few cheerleaders, but it should not be at the expense of you following your ambitions. You should walk away from the ones who don’t motivate, inspire or uplift you.

Aubreana Stephenson Holder lives by the motto, “You can do anything you put your mind to, and given an opportunity to prove herself, she will show you her worth.” As such, she has achieved the title of Chief Operating Officer of Federal Management Systems, Incorporated (FMS), a government contracting company with over 25 years of working with the federal, state, local and international government, at a young age. Additionally, she is on the Board of…

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…

Oonya Kempadoo is an internationally published and acclaimed author, born in England in 1966 to Guyanese parents. She was brought up in Guyana and studied art in Amsterdam. Oonya has lived and worked for most of her life in various Caribbean islands including Trinidad, Tobago, St. Lucia, and is currently based in Grenada. A creative writer and novelist, she also works freelance as a researcher and consultant in the arts, private sector, with youth and…

From Stabroek News Archive When she married David Granger, Sandra Chan-A-Sue knew she was going to be a military wife which meant her husband would be away from home a lot of the time. But what she did not know was that forty years down the line she would be married to a politician, still with the name of David Granger. “I did not believe him…” the then 62-year-old Sandra Granger told the Sunday Stabroek…

Twenty-two year old Letitia Wright was born in Guyana and moved to Britain aged six.  The rising star got her start on TV in the British series “Doctor Who,” “Cucumber,” and “Chasing Shadows.” She recently landed a key role in Steven Spielberg’s upcoming big-budget tentpole “Ready Player One,” beating out dozens of young actresses to costar opposite Tye Sheridan and Olivia Cooke. Letitia also plays the role of  Irene “Rene” Watson, on season 2 of the…

The Port of Spain-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has a new registrar and marshal. Guyanese national Jacqueline Graham, who took up the post from July 1, 2014, is an attorney with an MBA in Finance (University of Manchester, UK), an undergraduate degree in Management Studies (University of Guyana) and is a graduate of the Hugh Wooding Law School at St Augustine. Before her appointment at the CCJ, Graham was the legal assistant to the Chancellor…

Guyana female table tennis champion, Chelsea Edghill, was awarded a partial scholarship to attend Lindenwood University in Saint Charles, Missouri.  According to a Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) Press Release, the scholarship covers five years and will allow Edghill to train, play and participate in high-level competitions against top level players on a consistent basis in view of achieving 2020 Olympic qualification. Edghill, a Bishops High School Student, has won several championship awards and was named…

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…

You may have recently seen Ebonee Noel staring as Kristen Chazal, a smart tech savvy analyst in the new CBS gripping 13-episode drama series, “FBI”.  The Harlem-born actress is also known for her role in the ABC’s drama “Still Star-Crossed” as Livia Capulet. Other TV credits include “Wrecked,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “Eye Candy” from Jason Blum, and a supporting role in the independent feature “Long Nights, Short Mornings.” Ebonee is the daughter of Guyanese parents, Cheryl E. Noel…

Claudette Izel Humprey (nee Masdammer)  is the First Female Olympian from British Guiana (Guyana).  Born on March 30th, 1936,  Claudette atttended the St. Georges Anglican School and subsequently entered the Tutorial High School on an athletic scholarship. Her athletic ability was recognized by the Castello Brothers, founders of Tutorial High school, during the annual public schools’ sports meeting.  On account of her sprinting prowess, Claudette represented British Guiana at the 1956 Olympic Summer Games held…