16 Passport 2 Success graduates shine so bright

Sixteen Passport 2 Success graduates shone very brightly at the recent Passport 2 Success graduation at the George Town Yacht Club. Passport2Success helps young people gain success in the world of work by taking them through 14 weeks of training consisting of different developmental workshops and participatory session, so that they gain the self-confidence and necessary skill sets they will need, not only to get a job but shine in it.

The 29th Cohort of Passport 2 Success began on Monday September 9, 2019 with 17 participants consisting of a mixture of single parents and young adults between the ages of 17 and 23.

Each of them got an opportunity to tell their story; the story of how the programme changed them, helping them to overcome challenges, so that they would be set on the good road called ‘Success’ not just for now, but for the rest of their lives. Some of them had already gained employment after impressing their employers during the work-placement internship which is part of the course. Graduate Barbie Bodden has got a job at the Westin, and T’Keyah Dreckett, who sang “Shine Bright Like a Diamond,” very beautifully during the presentation, has found a job at Kirk Freeport. Cher Bailey has got a job at Camana Bay Cinema.

Graduates gained the honor of organizing their own ceremony, and Rosa Whittaker & Kaylone Warren made great masters of ceremony, as they invited each of their friends from the cohort to come forward to present reflections on what the course had done for them.

Jessica Martinez-Frederick said that she had tried to join the programme before, but did not manage to get on, so she was very motivated when she finally managed to join: “When I finally started this program I made a promise to myself that when I graduated I would be proud of myself,” she said. “This program has helped me in so many different ways both personally and professionally, Ms Martinez said as she thanked her tutors, Catherine Tyson and Carmella Pugh for their constant encouragement and support, adding that the cohort, “had become like a family,” to her, and this really kept her going.

Cher Baily was also very proud of her achievements, and how much she had learned over the 14-week course: “Since joining this programme I have learned how to maintain a positive mindset and accept change…I have also learned the importance of first impressions, and I have learned that I can meet people for the first time in a professional environment and make a good first impression,” she said. “One of the main highlights for me was attending my first professional symposium world mental health Day conference, and also my first trip to the National Gallery.”

In addition to receiving their Certificate of Completion, each of the graduates received special awards too. Rosa Whittaker was Top Female Overall; Timothy McKenzie, Top Male Overall; Jessica Martinez Frederick, Most Consistent; Joseph Maitland, Most Resourceful; Cher Bailey really shone, with two special awards: Most Outstanding Growth and Perfect Attendance. Isabel McFarlane received the Most Positive Attitude, and Barbie Bodden was Rising Star, along with Jaheem Jefferson. Kaylone Warren Most Helpful and T’Keyah Dreckett received two awards: Most Improved and Perfect Attendance; while Angelina Brown was Most Enthusiastic.