Mondel George, MD, BSc

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At a young age—just 17—Mondel George set off on his journey to become a physician. Born and raised in Grenada, he didn’t have to travel far to attend his dream school.

“St. George’s University was then, and still is, the most prestigious institution in the Caribbean, so there was nowhere else I would have rather attended,” said Dr. George, a 2015 School of Medicine graduate.

In addition to being a general practitioner on the island, Dr. George pays it forward at his alma mater by working as a learning strategist in the Department of Educational Services, providing medical students with the tools and tips to succeed both in their studies and in their careers.

His contribution is part of a network of support that helps the entire student body, just as it did for him through his undergraduate and medical studies at SGU.

“One thing that really sets SGU apart from other institutions is the amount of support that is offered to its students,” stated Dr. George. “There are numerous avenues for helping students, from the Psychological Services Center to University Health Services, including the Department of Educational Services and faculty open office hours. As a student, if you’re ever in need, there is someone here to help you at SGU.”

While pursuing his Bachelor of Science within the School of Arts and Sciences (SAS), Dr. George was also a member of the Undergraduate Student Government Association and the Caribbean Students Association, while also serving as a teaching assistant and a volunteer at the SGU radio station. After completing his bachelor’s degree in three-and-a-half years, he took the summer off to work in Grenada’s Ministry of Agriculture.

In the past, he had volunteered with the Sickle Cell Association of Grenada, with mental health organizations, and at his local church. With a desire to help those in need, he applied to SGU’s School of Medicine program and received a scholarship to attend.

“When I started medical school, I felt like the foundation I had in SAS was incomparable to those students who did not previously attend SGU,” added Dr. George. “I was not only familiar with the campus but also with the professors, the test-taking formats, and the different resources I could go to for help. I never once felt like I was left alone in the wilderness. I feel like the lecturers here at SGU do an excellent job in terms of guiding you toward having a successful career.”

Dr. George greatly appreciates the foundation that SGU has created, which he is building upon to this day. He is a Charter Class member of SGU’s Master of Education program, with a graduation date of May 2018. Dr. George encourages others to follow a similar path to achieve their own goals.

“As an international university that is well respected, the diversity that SGU offers in unlike any other,” he said. “The connections that I made in undergrad are still present in my life today. The hands-on support that the University offered prepared me well to enter such a noble profession.”

 

Published October 2017

Jeannine Sylvester-Gill, BSc

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Studying psychology in the 1990s wasn’t a popular choice in Grenada, a stigma attached to the field due to its close link to psychiatry and mental health. Yet Jeannine Sylvester-Gill followed her passion, and as a result, individuals and families in her home country have benefited from her leadership.

Ms. Sylvester-Gill graduated with a Bachelor of Science in social sciences from St. George’s University in 2000. Now the Executive Director of Grenada Planned Parenthood Association (GPPA), she oversees the programming and administration of its two clinics, as well as its programs in sexual reproductive health and rights.

“My work at Planned Parenthood has taken me into many different realms. I work on addressing women’s issues, human rights, sexual reproductive health, rights for people who have HIV and sexually transmitted diseases and others from the most at-risk populations,” said Ms. Sylvester-Gill. “My focus is on ensuring that everybody has a better quality of life, and that sexual and reproductive health services are available to all.”

In 1997, while working as a secretary within the newly established School of Arts and Sciences (SAS), Ms. Sylvester-Gill started off as a part-time psychology student in SAS before making the move from staff to full-time student. Later, as more programs within SAS were instituted, she switched to a degree in social sciences with a major in social work.

“SGU presented an opportunity for many Grenadians that didn’t exist for us before. It gave us the option to attend a university in our homeland instead of having to travel abroad,” said Ms. Sylvester-Gill. “SGU took into consideration the financial aspect and the commitment that was needed. It gave locals the chance to stay in Grenada while furthering their academic career and having their family’s support close by. This was an opportunity that many Grenadians didn’t have before.”

After graduating from SGU, Ms. Sylvester-Gill utilized her skills in psychology and human behavior while working as a social worker for 12 years before joining GPPA in 2012. In addition to her current role, Ms. Sylvester-Gill recently submitted her master’s thesis for approval to the University of the Southern Caribbean, where she will earn her Master of Science in counseling psychology, with an emphasis in marriage and family therapy.

SGU provided the building blocks for a long and successful career, as well as relationships that have stood the test of time.

“With SAS being a new school, there were a few challenges but there was also a lot of support,” she added. “That experience taught us to be flexible and adapt to different circumstances a lot better. It allowed us to mingle with the medical students as well as other international students from the Caribbean and around the world, and we formed lifelong friendships and networks. SAS presented us with numerous opportunities for development that weren’t available to us before.”

 

Published May 2017

Wayne Smart, BSc

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In a short time, St. George’s University graduate Wayne Smart, BSc SGU ’14, has seen his career take flight since enrolling in the marine, wildlife, and conservation biology program at SGU. He now hopes his efforts can brighten the futures of the species and ecosystems that he is studying.

Mr. Smart is a graduate teaching assistant at Arkansas State University (ASU), where he is concurrently pursuing at Master of Science in Environmental Sciences. He’s in the final stages of researching the nesting performance of seabirds in the Grenadines—to assess whether invasive predators and human harvesting of seabird eggs, chicks, and adults have any effect on the trends in their nesting performance on the islands.

After graduating from high school and community college, Mr. Smart was left to wonder which direction to go next in his career. That all changed once he enrolled in the marine and wildlife conservation program at SGU. He quickly developed an interest in avian species and marine ecosystem protection and conservation, and went on to graduate cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in biology.

“SGU played a pivotal role in terms of my growth,” said Mr. Smart. “It really did open my eyes to numerous possibilities.”

During his time at SGU, Mr. Smart joined several student organizations, including the Education, Conservation, and Outreach Student Organization (ECO) and the Undergraduate Student Government Association (USGA), serving as President and Vice President respectively. He also jumped on an opportunity to complete a senior internship under SGU Visiting Professor Jack Kirkley, during which they studied birds of prey in Yellowstone National Park and Beaverhead County in Montana. Upon graduating, Mr. Smart worked with the non-governmental organization, Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC). After serving as a field researcher, EPIC granted him permission to use the data from its program to his current research work at ASU.

Mr. Smart credits SGU with helping him cultivate the academic discipline needed to succeed by utilizing all the resources that the University had to offer, including taking extra classes when necessary. Upon completing his master’s degree, he would welcome the chance to return to his home country to enhance conservation efforts.

“There’s a lot of work that needs to be done in Grenada in terms of research and building science infrastructure, and I think right now is a good time to be a part of that movement,” said Mr. Smart. “After graduating, I would love to come back and partner with SGU. I love what I’m doing right now and I’m definitely good at it, so I’m sticking to it.”

 

Published April 2017

Kerricia Hobson, BSc

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Even from a young age, Kerricia Hobson, BSc SGU ’08, has been passionate about and fascinated by the ocean and its inhabitants. So, it seemed only natural when she decided to study marine biology at St. George’s University, graduating magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in life sciences.

Ms. Hobson kept her passion alive as she now serves as Project Manager for the Coastal Ecosystem-Based Adaptation (EBA) Project in Grenada’s Ministry of Education, Human Resource Development, and the Environment. The project is designed to reinforce deteriorating reef structures in Grenada and Carriacou through the creation and maintenance of the island’s first-ever coral nurseries, a task that will have many long-term environmental and sociological benefits for Grenada and other Caribbean islands.

“SGU was really the foundation for everything. Much of what I studied at the University is integral to what I do now,” said Ms. Hobson. “While I work more in the management aspect of various projects and initiatives, it helps that I have that technical background from SGU because I am able to understand the jargon used in the field, which is very useful in my position.”

During Prince Harry’s 2016 visit to Grenada, Ms. Hobson explained how the reef restoration project will help fuel the island’s tourism and fisheries industries.

“To restore [these reefs], coastal ecosystems have proven to be less costly to implement and a better fit than hard infrastructures such as seawalls,” Ms. Hobson said.

After working as a science teacher, she enrolled in SGU’s School of Arts and Sciences in 2005. In addition to her studies, she served on the Public Lecturer Committee and was instrumental in developing the Undergraduate Student Government Association (USGA), serving two years as its President and making it more reflective of the student body it represented and being more involved in the lives of the students.

“Beyond being an institution where I could receive my bachelor’s degree, some of the most supportive and encouraging people I’ve ever met have come from SGU,” said Ms. Hobson. “The lecturers in SAS have always been ready and willing to do whatever was necessary to help me advance, and I can never be too grateful for that. I am still very much tied to SGU now, as a member of the Alumni Association and I will always be thankful for the opportunities that I have been afforded through being a part of the SGU family.”

Published April 2017

Jody Daniel, BSc

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St. George’s University School of Arts and Sciences graduate Jody Daniel was recently awarded the coveted Ontario Trillium Scholarship (OTS) to the University of Waterloo, an institution ranked first in Canada as its most innovative university for more than a quarter century. Unbeknownst to her, Ms. Daniel was nominated for the prestigious scholarship by a Waterloo faculty member. The OTS, which serves as a significant recruitment initiative to attract the best qualified international students to Ontario for PhD studies will also provide her with full funding for the four years as she pursues her degree in biology, beginning this September.

For Ms. Daniel, becoming a marine and wildlife conservationist was not a lifelong dream but rather a growing passion ignited by her time spent obtaining her bachelor’s degree from the Department of Biology, Ecology, and Conservation (BEC) at St. George’s University. Guided by Dr. Andrea Easter-Pilcher, Senior Associate Dean, School of Arts and Sciences, Ms. Daniel attributes the outstanding SGU faculty in the BEC department, along with her involvement in the student group Education Conservation Outreach (ECO), with awakening her desire to be of service to the conservation effort locally.

“My time at SGU while I was involved in ECO really helped me to embrace the culture of conservation, which we currently don’t have here in Grenada, since the concept is relatively new to our small island state,” said Ms. Daniel. “I think we will eventually get there and the fact that ECO recognizes these gaps is what really attracted me to conservation research in particular.”

Ms. Daniel credits Dr. Easter-Pilcher, who noticed her love for the sciences and the outdoors and steered her to SGU’s Marine and Wildlife program. Additionally, she tributes Dr. Eric Dyreson, a visiting professor from the University of Montana Western with sparking her interest in Wildlife Ecology Management. Ms. Daniel later went on to do an online internship with Dr. Dyreson—a research project focusing on the population dynamics of the Grenada hook-billed kite.

“Dr. Dyreson taught us about population ecology and research modeling, which everyone in the class thought was boring except for me,” shared Ms. Daniel. “I learned to do programming and to estimate and monitor change over time, which I found fascinating. My subject preferences are physics and math, and when I realized this program had a strong quantitative background, that cemented my aspiration into conservation research.”

In 2014, after completing her degree at SGU, Ms. Daniel left her hometown of Grand Anse in Grenada and pursued a master’s degree at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada. She received full funding after being awarded the National Science and Engineering Council Industrial Postgraduate Scholarship and focused on natural resource management while completing her degree in conservation ecology in 2015.

Since graduating, Ms. Daniel continues to give back to her homeland, returning to her alma mater where she has worked both part-time and full-time as a teacher in the BEC department at SGU. Her strong interest in research models and gathering quantitative evidence to be used in management decisions has also driven her volunteer work with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries and the Woburn Woodlands Development Organization.

“Many of my colleagues are currently working in the Fisheries division and doing some very informative campaigns in regards to educating the public on conservation,” praised Ms. Daniel. “However, I would like to tackle this topic from the scientific research side, which I believe will go hand in hand with the educational campaigns already being done.”

Published April 2017

Orlando Romain, BSc

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Orlando Romain is the e-marketing manager at Grenada Tourism Authority where he manages the tourist destination’s online marketing initiatives, earning the Caribbean Web Award for Best Tourist Board Website from TravelMole in 2012.

“Every day is a new challenge at work, and I love that,” Mr. Romain said. “What I enjoy most is drawing on the critical and analytical skills I learned at SGU and applying my creativity to meet those challenges. I love being able to do what I love.”

Mr. Romain’s journey to St. George’s University began when he attended Career Day at SGU in 2006 where he made the life-changing decision to pursue a degree in management information systems.

“St. George’s University provided a unique experience which offered me the best of both worlds,” Mr. Romain said. “I had the opportunity to work toward an undergraduate degree while incorporating a business I love and providing the opportunity to interact and network with persons from around the world without having to leave Grenada.  The lecturers were impressive; they cared about my success, and provided the mentorship and support I needed to succeed.”

In particular, he recalls participating in SGU’s public speaking course, facilitated by Mr. Anu Goyal, as one of his fondest memories—although it didn’t start out that way.

“I’m a bit reserved so the course on public speaking definitely took me out of my element.  However, I am so glad I took the course because it provided me with the skills I needed to become a confident leader that can now grace any stage,” he said. “I could not have overcome this fear anywhere else and it was great to be able to do so right here at home.”

Upon graduating in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science in management information systems, Mr. Romain secured a position with the Grenada Tourism Authority as an e-marketing officer and has moved his way up the ladder. He credits his  experience at St. George’s University for helping make him the successful manager he is today.  “If you have an adventurous spirit and inquiring mind, SGU is the place for you.”