Happy Holidays GGR Family!

My memoir is laced with nostalgia and at the same time it is my sincere intention to portray the true essence of the Guyanese culture without offence. Keep in mind that this is not based on the experience of every Guyanese. This was the way I saw and experienced things back then. The use of colloquialism is of utmost importance; it is the vernacular we understand. It may sound like another language so unless you…

Dr. Nicola Corbin, Ph.D is an assistant professor in the Communication department at Weber State University, in Ogden, Utah.  Dr. Corbin was born in Georgetown, Guyana and immigrated to the United States when she was 16 years old.  She graduated magna cum laude, with a BA Degree in Communications from Seton Hall University and later became an adjunct profession teaching Media Writing, Oral Communication and freshman orientation courses at both Seton Hall and the University of Maryland. Following her…

Soulful.  Divine.  Spellbinding.  Simone Denny is…a legend in the making.  Born and raised in Toronto, this powerhouse diva is of Guyanese heritage.  Simone’s Caribbean Canadian environment exposed her to a wide and eclectic mixed bag of musical influences. She grew up listening to calypso, reggae, Brazilian music, and of course, R&B. Simone knew in her heart that music would always be a major part of her life. Singing at a talent show in the 6th grade…

Judith Zoe Cadore is a proud Houstonian of Guyanese and Grenadian descent. The 26-year-old attorney holds a B.A. from Spelman College & a J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center (UHLC). Zoe was crowned Miss Houston in 2013 and represented the city at the Miss Texas Pageant where she received awards for talent, interview and community service. Her many accomplishments include the UHLC Faculty Distinguished Service Award, being published in the Harvard Journal of…

Farah Delicia Hussain was born in Guyana and moved to New York City when she was four years old. She’s a certified Kripalu Yoga Teacher and Thai Massage Therapist.  Her family’s cultural and religious history, coupled with the trials of being an immigrant and a first-generation American, instilled a desire for self-exploration and healing.  Her philosophy of yoga honors self-study balanced with a deep responsibility to enhance community and environmental health. While Farah was introduced to…

Flora Zeta Zhang Elizabeth Tian Ai Cheong-Leen was born in Hong Kong in 1959.  Her father Hilton Cheong-Leen was born in Georgetown, British Guyana but is of Chinese descent and her mother Pauline Chow is from Beijing. Flora graduated from The Royal Ballet in the UK and at the Paris Opera in France. She starred as the lead actress in movies such as: “Life After Life”, “Duel to the Death”, “Chasing Girl” and “Return of…

Assemblywoman Alicia L. Hyndman was elected to the New York State Assembly on November 10, 2015 in the 29th AD, encompassing the neighborhoods of Laurelton, Rosedale, St. Albans, Addisleigh Park, Hollis, Springfield Gardens and Jamaica. The daughter of Guyanese  immigrants, Assemblywoman Hyndman emigrated to the U.S. from London, England as a young child. She spent her formative years growing up in Hollis & South Ozone Park attending public schools, PS 34, IS 109, JHS 226 & John…

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…

Undra Celeste Duncan is the founder and creative director of Undra Celeste New York; a modern workwear brand for multicultural women. Upon earning a business degree from Howard University, she moved to LA where she studied fashion designing, and later to New York to pursue a career in fashion.  She worked for big brands such as Calvin Klein and American Eagle Outfitters before launching her own label in 2014.  Undra’s collections have been shown on…

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…

Guyanese  gospel singer/songwriter, Trenacia Esseboom-McKend, is known for her powerful vocals which set her apart from many in the local gospel music industry. She is the first born of two children to Bishop Terrence Esseboom (University of Guyana Print Journalism Lecturer) and Vanessa Esseboom, who both Pastor at the Light of Lights New Testament Church in Georgetown. She acknowledged in the past that growing up with parents who are Pastors has helped her walk with…

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…

Name: Kiesha Nicole Benn Specialty: Obstetrics & Gynecology Residency: Lehigh Valley Hospital, Allentown, PA Fellowship/Graduate school: Maternal Fetal Medicine, Second year Fellow at The University of Connecticut Health Center Medical School: SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY Undergraduate: City University of New York: Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, NY, NY.   1) When did you decide you wanted to become a Medical Doctor and what led to this decision? “I knew I wanted to…

Joyce Ferdinand-Lalljie  was a child prodigy who began playing one of her mother’s piano pieces when she was three years old. She and her younger sister Mavis both became concert pianists and were known as the two Ferdinand girls. Joyce is accredited as being the first black woman, if not the first woman to play a full piano concerto.  In his article on radio in British Guiana for the 1951 Chronicle Christmas Annual, Albert E…

When you think of a well rounded student, Ayisha Jackson comes to mind.  This weekend the senior at Brown University will be among the Class of 2018 and will graduate with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Materials Engineering.  Ayisha’s academic achievement is not the only impressive thing about this very bright young woman.  She has interned at NASA and Vanderbilt Institute for Nanoscale Science and Engineering, studied in Hong Kong,  traveled throughout the continent of Asia…