As a first-generation Canadian born to Caribbean immigrants, I grew up in Montreal with parents who were devoted to public service. They felt that leading by example and by your actions was more important than talking up your accomplishments. My father was a high school teacher, my mother a nurse and my aunt a social worker.
When it came time to choose a university, it was easy to choose McGill. My mother and aunt had both been McGill grads – my mother with a Nursing Teaching Diploma in 1960 and my aunt with a Master of Social Work in 1956.
I’ve always believed in the importance of education, of seizing the moment to do one’s best, and of setting an example through one’s actions. After my BA (Economics) and MBA from McGill, plus an MA (Economics) from McMaster, I launched a career in the energy industry – mainly in Calgary, Canada’s energy capital. The industry is not known for racial diversity or for African-Canadians. But perseverance and resilience guided me in forging a lifelong career, which included appearances before parliamentary committees.
In the spirit of giving back, I felt it a public duty to be engaged in the Calgary and the McGill communities – including serving on the board of the McGill Alumni Association of Calgary and the board of The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Foundation, and being a sessional introductory economics instructor at University of Calgary and a high school math tutor for YMCA Calgary.
My belief in lifelong education was forged at McGill and is one I continue to pursue. I retired from energy economics and government relations in 2017 and decided to develop a deeper understanding of my lifelong passion for music. I am currently completing an Honours BA in Music at University of Calgary.
All this has been influenced greatly by my past and current association with McGill. For anyone, the most important thing is to pursue your goals to the best of your abilities, and to make sure to benefit from all the supporting resources, role models and mentors that you can find.