TBWM : What are some of your core values as an educator , individual , and woman ? Dr . Sinclair-Maragh : My personal mantra is “ purposely I am on earth to serve mankind ”, and I have a purpose through education and training to do that . I serve others in this way ; students , associates , family , friends , colleagues , church and other communities . If I am unable to assist , I point people in the direction to get the needed help . I endeavor to encourage young people , especially those whom I serve directly through my various job responsibilities at UTech , Jamaica .
I believe in empowerment ; a woman must empower another woman and not compete with each other . This is because we all have our individual purpose here on earth . I selflessly share my story with mothers who are curious to know how I accomplished all of this with my daughters because I wish the same level of success and more for them and their children . I advise these mothers not to limit themselves or their children . I encourage them to not look at the challenge but instead move in faith , and the opportunities will unfold as they should . I usually begin my response with : silver and gold , I have not , but what I have I will give to you , and what I have are encouragement and motivation , and whatever information I can find and who I can find to help you . Today , I stand by those same precepts and continue to help as many people as I can . I believe , in being trustworthy , and building a safe haven so persons will ask for help . Perseverance is also a big part of my story in addition to high levels of tenacity . I keep going , and I never give up .
TBWM : You mentioned the phrase " it will happen ," and I equate that with faith . How has faith played out in your journey ? Dr . Sinclair-Maragh : I believe in the power of faith . My Christian doctrine and conviction have significantly helped throughout my journey . I believe that faith can move mountains . We only need to start , and the other things will come forth . I am also an optimist while being a realist . I believe things will happen once you have that positive mindset , and that ' opportunities abound for success .' Faith has allowed many things in my life to happen because of my positive mindset , and I have faith in the Creator - God , and I believe " it will happen " for all who believe .
TBWM : What is your take on the statement " it ' s never too late ."
Dr . Sinclair-Maragh : Age is not a barrier , neither is your race nor ethnicity . Your religious belief , financial situation or address should not be allowed to be barriers ; so , it is never too late to accomplish your purpose for living . We all have a purpose for which we were born , to make a difference in this current life and life to come . It may take a longer time for some people to get to their ultimate purpose , but it will never be too late .
The race is not for the swift but for those who can endure . We all have different contexts in which we live , and so our stories and timelines will be dissimilar . With respect to age , I was the oldest in my Ph . D . cohort , but I embraced everything , including my younger colleagues and the statistic classes that were a bit challenging . I was never intimidated as I was focused on achieving my goal . It is never too late , go for it .
TBWM : What does success looks like ? Dr . Sinclair-Maragh : Our success ( I include my children ) is not based on money but on how we can use our God-given talent to help others . Thankfully , my daughters see it this way also ; demonstrating it in their medical practice . I measure success by the way they live their personal and professional lives . My success is also when I can help others to realize their potential and make themselves better . This includes my students and mentees with the latter spanning across different age groups , jurisdictions and geographical spaces . Seeing them being successful at their differing endeavours spells success for me . I feel successful when I observe my plants blooming , it excites me . Success is remaining in good health and being the anchor for my family and friends , one whom they trust and can rely on . Success correlates to the published journal articles and book chapters authored . I recall that while pursuing doctoral studies how limited the literature was . Today , I write and share literature in the discipline of tourism that will be of benefit to other post-graduate students . Thus , I am committed to continue doing this . All of these measures of success give me internal satisfaction , the one that allows me to say ‘ Amen ’.
On the other hand , we must be realists who recognize that we need money to make our standard of living better . Therefore , it is good to create the balance while realizing that money should not be the ultimate focus but a means to be purposeful to mankind .
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