My mom was an avid church goer and it was a no-brainer
that I would grow up in the church. By age 8, I was part of
the children’s choir and by 16, I became the leader of the
Vieux-Fort Catholic Youth group. I was a poto l’eglise (an
expression in our creole vernacular directly translated
means church post (Whitney chuckles) and felt that I was
always involved in something bigger than myself. My
participation in these activities helped to cultivate my team-
oriented leadership skills.
"LOL. I too was often referred to as a 'poto l'eglise'.
Besides church and school how did you spend your
leisure time?
"LOL. I read a lot as a child so I had a very vivid imagination
and so I think that's why I got involved in theatre and dance,
which also contributed to my success today.
The first book you remember reading was?
"I think it was called Well Done Secret Sevens by Enid
Blyton. It was a prize for winning the junior primary school
independence show. Inspired by that book, I decided to
gather a group of friends to collect food for the poor and
have it distributed through my church. I really liked doing
community service. Looking back, I can’t believe that I was
only 9 when I initiated things like that."
You mentioned that involvement in community
activities helped shape and prepared you for the
workforce, how so?
"I was one to capitalize on any resource or activities offered
in my community and church. It was through my
participation in these activities that I learned how to think
creatively, and develop an attitude of tolerance and
discipline. I also learned many practical skills, like project
and time management — skills that are transferable
independent of career choice.
For instance, I recall eagerly registering for my first free
liturgical dance workshop run by a volunteer from the US
who was skilled in ballet and modern dance. I also
remember the first time I did a theater training session
run by the late Ms Lucia Peter .