Famous Guyanese

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27 Jun: She Rocks! Congratulations to Lisa Punch, Miss World Guyana 2015

Last night Lisa Punch was crowned Miss World Guyana 2015 during a coronation ceremony held at the Marriott Hotel in Georgetown, Guyana. The Miss World Guyana Committee decided not to hold a pageant this year, but to select a delegate instead, a practice which is not uncommon. The newly crowned Queen is a former Bishops High School student, is a talented singer and became well known around the world when she was a contestant on…

Actress Letitia Wright

19 Jan: She Rocks! Meet Letitia Wright – A Guyanese Actress on the Rise

Born on October 31, 1993 in Georgetown, Guyana, Letitia Michelle Wright is an UK-based actress, known for her roles in Glasgow Girls, My Brother the Devil and Urban Hymn. Migrating to London with her mother at the age of six, Letitia first fell in love with acting at her Finsbury Park primary school when she got the opportunity to play a young Rosa Parks onstage. “I felt so comfortable,” she recalls. “I even did the…

10 Dec: She Rocks! Meet Dr. ONEEKA WILLIAMS, Top-Ranked Urologic Surgeon & Children’s Book Author

Dr. Oneeka Williams is a Harvard Medical School Graduate who ranks among the top urologic surgeons in the United States. She was born and raised in Guyana and moved with her family to Barbados at the age of 10. From an early age, her science teacher mother and journalist father instilled in her a love for the sciences and writing. “My childhood was filled with the joys of discovery and exploration as my science teacher…

30 Sep: Guyanese, Tracey Lewis, is only the second black female to be named FDNY Lieutenant…

Guyanese, Tracey Lewis, of Engine 222 in Bedford-Stuyvesant Brooklyn has become the second black female in the department’s history to be promoted to Lieutenant.   Lewis has been a firefighter for 17 years, starting off as a cadet in 1997. She was an emergency medical technician before joining Engine 222. “You encounter resistance every day, but I can’t let that stop me from going forward,” Lewis said during  the promotion ceremony at the Christian Cultural…

23 Jun: *Rising Star* Contestant, Lisa Punch, Moves on to the Second Round of ABC’s New Singing Show

Guyanese Girl Lisa Mary Johanna Punch wowed the judges and viewers last night  during the premiere of  ABC’s new singing show Rising Star,  belting out Whitney Houston’s “How Will I Know” to move on to the second round of the competition.  Lisa, who was born in Guyana, migrated with her family to the USA only 6 months ago and made it to the top 30 out of 40,000 auditions. The  Rising Star show follows a group…

30 Apr: She Rocks Her Guyanese Heritage! Yaani King – Accomplished Film and TV Actor!

Yaani King is an American actor of Guyanese descent. The only daughter of an NYPD officer mother, Yaani was born on August 10, 1981 in Flatbush, Brooklyn, and raised in Queens. She has two elder brothers, she spent most of her childhood around the theater, as her mother was a stage and commercial actress before becoming a police officer. As a teen, she was accepted to the High School of Performing Arts at Lincoln Center…

04 Apr: She Rocks! Marcie De Santos – Making Fashion Strides on the International Runway

Marcie De Santos started designing over five years ago. She always had a passion for unique clothes, so she started by designing for herself and soon realized that she had a flair for designing. She prides herself in the uniqueness of the color blends that she uses. Her target is mainly women whose desire is to exude femininity in unique, exuberant, eye catching styles. The Guyana Fashion Week (GFW) 2008 was her debut runway show…

07 Mar: She Rocks! Donna Makeda – International Culture Reggae & Dancehall Queen

Donna Makeda is definitely a musical force to be reckoned with. She was born in Kwakwani and grew up in New Amsterdam, Berbice, Guyana. Donna started singing and performing over 25 years ago, her foundation in music came from the church, which she attended when she was a little girl. Donna started out as a dancer; she was trained in Afro-Caribbean Dance, Modern Dance, Folk Dance, Kathak and Classical Ballet. At age 16, she opened…

03 Mar: She Rocks! Indomatie Goordial-John: Former West Indies Women Cricket Team Captain / Radiant Info “2010 Women’s Cricketer of the Year”

Born on August 9th, 1985 in Unity Village, Guyana, Indomatie Goordial-John is the eldest of three children, and the only member of her family interested in sports. A right-hand bat and off-spin bowler, Indomatie started playing tape-ball and softball cricket at the age of 13 at the Bygeval Secondary School.  She later played for the Eastern Warriors. In 1999, Indomatie joined Unity Sports Club, one of the first women’s cricket teams in Guyana. Two years…

27 Feb: Women in Guyana’s History: Martha Ruby Holland – Music Educator, Entrepreneur and Humanitarian

In 1958, Martha Ruby Holland (nee Nicholson) founded the first Ruby Holland School of Music  in British Guiana, South America. She was an avid believer in music education and the art.  She believed that everyone possessed creative talent and spent her life providing artistic opportunities for students regardless of their age, social standing or financial means. Martha’s approach to teaching music (the piano) was unique and quite enriching. She offered her students a rich array…