Happy Holidays GGR Family!

Cecily Joseph, is the vice president of Corporate Responsibility at Symantec Corp. World Headquarters. Born to a German mom and Guyanese dad, Cecily Joseph oversees Symantec’s corporate responsibility efforts and serves as the company’s chief diversity officer. In her role, she oversees Symantec’s global corporate responsibility efforts, which encompass environmental, social, and governance program development as well as diversity and inclusion, integration and alignment. Cecily drives the implementation of community investment efforts including the Symantec Foundation, leads the…

  Keisha Edwards has been designing from a very young age. As a child growing up in Guyana, she would sketch outfits and ask her mother to make them for her. Born on September 8th, 1986, Keisha grew up in North Ruimveldt and then moved to East Ruimveldt at the age of 7. One of 8 kids, Keisha treasures her friendship with her siblings, and still reminisces on her childhood and the good times they…

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…

Although I have not been back in years,  I am proud to be Guyanese says Sasha Pilgrim, author, motivational speaker and budding entrepreneur. Born in Linden in 1987, Sasha spent a few years of her childhood in Berbice before relocating to US.  She currently resides in New Jersey where she studied and obtained two (2) Bachelor degrees in General Sociology from Bloomfield College and BA in Business Administration & Management from Pillar College.  A devoted…

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…

English Teacher, Shamayne Cumberbatch, was born in Guyana, South America and later moved to Irving, NJ. She first attended the local public school before enrolling at Kent Place for middle and high school. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and her master’s degree from Harvard in Education Policy and Management. Before working at the Pingry School, Ms. Cumberbatch participated in the Teach for America program, teaching eighth grade English classes at a charter…

Renowned Guyanese Fashion Designer, Sonia Noel, showcased her First Resort Collection this past weekend during Caribbean New York Fashion Week. The fun and flirty collection was rich with Noel’s signature weave patterns incorporating vivid hues, leopard prints and polka dot. The event which was held at The Out Nightclub in New York City coincided with Mercedes Benz Fashion Week and was attended by members of the press and the Caribbean Diaspora.  Models, many whom were…

Faudia Baijnauth is the co-founder and Chairperson of Indo-Caribbean Alliance, Inc. (ICA). She is responsible for the overall governance and direction of the organization which has grown to become one of the leading Caribbean organizations in Queens. Faudia’s primary role is to ensure that ICA advocates and creates programs and services for Indo-Caribbean residents in South Queens. Faudia  holds a BA Degree in Political Science from Baruch College and earned her Master’s in Social Work…

Source:  nickiswift.com Actress Golda Rosheuvel was born in Guyana, but her family moved to the UK while she was growing up. In a Q&A with Shondaland, the British star revealed her favorite book is The Secret Garden and that she is “mad” for country music. Keep reading to learn more about the fabulous Bridgerton star! Rosheuvel plays Queen Charlotte in Bridgerton. Netflix’s hit series from TV queen Shonda Rhimes follows British high society in Regency-era England. Bridgerton…

Guyanese Maureen Walker, who is the Comptroller of the City of Mount Vernon, has recently announced that she is seeking the nomination of the Democratic Party in the up-coming primary elections to be held on Thursday, September 10, 2015 for the Office of Mayor of Mount Vernon. Maureen is  a New York State Certified Public Accountant. The Plaisance native holds an MBA in Finance  from the University of New Haven and a B.Sc. in Accounting (magna cum laude) from…

A few weeks ago, people across America celebrated Veterans Day in honors military personnel who served in the United States Armed Forces, but sometimes life after service isn’t easy. That’s where Sharmin Prince comes in. As the program director for veterans services at Volunteers of America-Greater New York, Sharmin is running the Battle Buddy Bridge, a peer-to-peer program that trains veterans to help other veterans deal with a mental health diagnosis. “In basic training, you are…

Mona Williams is a storyteller, children’s writer and educator whose action-packed stories and dramatic presentations enthrall audiences of all ages.  She covers a vast spectrum of stories including myths, legends and heroic tales; folk, fairy and wisdom stories, fables, riddles and autobiographical adventures. Born in the town of Mackenzie, Guyana on 27 July 1943,  Williams secured a place at the exclusive girls’ school Bishops. The school lends it name to her autobiography, Bishops: My Turbulent…

Earlier this month I had the pleasure of watching the young women of St. Albans Episcopal Church perform the Maypole dance at the annual Guyana Folk Festival held in Brooklyn, NY.   I remember doing this as a little girl growing up in Guyana dressed up in frilly dresses and socks with colorful hair bows, as we danced and weaved the ribbons to the sound of music. Watching this recreated many, many years later brought back sweet memories. A maypole is a tall…

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…

Born in Guyana, Sharmilla Persaud, with a little unwilling help from her mother, discovered her love of fashion at an early age. Finding the perfect artistic playground in her mother’s colorful saris and jewelry, a young Sharmilla went to work cutting and combining them into her own creations. At five, she moved with her family to New York, and now credits the streets of Manhattan for lending an urban edge to her aesthetic as a…