Lakefield used to be a single-sex school , and while women were welcomed a decade or so before I got there , the school had yet to part with its tradition of having a single Head Student , a male . I learned that I was likely to be Lakefield ’ s first female Head Student , but , in a bittersweet way , it was the very same week that I won a scholarship to represent The Bahamas at the United World Colleges ( UWC ) in Hong Kong .
Not sure what path to explore , I sought the chaplain ’ s advice . I wondered what a journey to Hong Kong would be like at the age of 16 , and while UWC students are selected by their country on the basis of merit , I feared I would not stand up academically to the rigours of the International Baccalaureate . I knew I was doing well at Lakefield and felt I could make a real contribution , but also knew this was another opportunity to “ dream big ” and leave my comfort zone .
Six months later , I found myself alone in a taxi on Lok Wo Sha Lane . At the UWC in Hong Kong , I was grateful that the international diversity of LCIS had prepared me to thrive in such a cosmopolitan setting . I joined the campus swim team and learned how to SCUBA dive so that I could volunteer for the World Wildlife Foundation , monitoring coral reefs on weekends . I began attempting to learn Mandarin and was navigating the city via the Mass Transit Railway with my new best friend , Juliet , who was from Sudan . I travelled extensively during breaks doing community service projects in countries such as Vietnam , Thailand , India , Nepal , Kenya , Tanzania , Egypt and Japan . On graduation day , the UWC Principal presented me with a plaque for being the student who had contributed the most to campus life . I thanked him and remembered the Lakefield Chaplain ’ s advice , which had been , “ Have faith that you will make a contribution wherever you go .” Thus my exploration continued .
you not only reach your full potential , but the journey is incredibly fulfilling . I went on to use their advice at LSE , growing my knowledge base and making a significant contribution to the school ’ s business society .
After LSE , I continued my pattern of exploration , of leaving and beginning again . Starting as an analyst at Goldman Sachs in London , I then had the opportunity to join Deutsche Bank and build the firm ’ s European hedge fund business . A few years later , I came back to The Bahamas , seconds away from LCIS , to work at Holowesko Partners as a hedge fund analyst . I am incredibly grateful for the experience I received there , which entailed making recommendations to invest in companies . I travelled to interview the senior management teams of listed companies across several sectors in countries as far as Brazil and Japan . It was the perfect job for someone who is intellectually curious , loves to travel and idolises business builders .
After nearly a decade at Holowesko Partners , I have recently taken myself out of my comfort zone again by cofounding an asset management firm , Wincrest Capital . It is early days and we shall not cease from exploration . In many respects , by striving to build a firm where people feel valued for their contributions , different skillsets are celebrated and colleagues are encouraged to dream big , I feel as if I am , as Eliot promised , arriving where I started to know the place for the first time . My experience in the small , close-knit environment of LCIS has always enabled me to make the best of my explorations in the academic and financial world . So once again , I know this journey starts and ends with the beginning .
Thank you , LCIS .
The next phase of my journey took me on a double decker # 19 bus up Shaftesbury Avenue to my dorm at the London School of Economics ( LSE ). This time , I didn ’ t pick up a new sport , but I did pick up a passion . Walking through the Fresher ’ s Fayre , I saw a booth that read , “ The LSE Business Society .” I signed up and took responsibility for organising the Society ’ s speaker series . I made a list of UK-based entrepreneurs who inspired me and wrote them each a personal letter on LSE Business Society letterhead inviting them to speak at the LSE . To my pleasant surprise , many of them actually said , “ Yes .” Speakers included , the founders of EasyJet , the Body Shop , Pret A Manger , Carphone Warehouse and LastMinute . com . What I gleaned from these entrepreneurs was that if you have the courage to start and continue dreaming big ,