Updated: Aug 28
Having the experience of a caring, mentoring and exemplary father is important to one’s emotional development. It can “make” rather than “break” a person. Even if one has not had close relations with a biological father, finding a father figure in one’s family, community or church could be helpful.
In the article below, we read about how Mr. Jayson Downer went through a very traumatic experience due to not having the presence a male figure in his early life. Yet he learnt from his experiences and as a result he is committed to making a difference in promoting mentorship for young men today. Mr. Downer describes his mentorship approach as helping each young man to become the best versions of themselves rather than trying to get them to become more like him.
Mentorship is an activity which can take place in almost any setting. So let those of us who are fathers seek to be the best father we can. Those who have a lack of an appropriate father-child experience seek to find a mentor where you can. The challenge is for all of us to do what we can to be a mentor in some way to a younger person who can benefit from the knowledge and experiences that we can share.
- E. Anthony Allen
- Oct 28, 2019
The Majority of people of African descent came to the Caribbean through slavery. It therefore means that for these persons life has been a struggle of social mobility starting from the plantation. In one sense, the story of the majority Jamaicans is one of how to break the glass ceiling of poverty in order to have a meaningful and fulfilling life.
This is a journey of empowerment.
In Omar Richardson’s own such journey he was prepared to achieve the opportunity to enroll in college by any honest means possible. This included including becoming a street sweeper.
Lessons learn from Omar’s experience include the following:
He has been industrious in his work.
He was not embarrassed to do what seems menial while being a student.
Even though he is a third-year marketing students he still will sweep the street if the need arises. He does his work with pride.
He focuses on careful planning of his time and habits which has ensured a balanced life and academic success.
Omar in his ambitious has sought multiple means of earning.
As someone else said about him “not withstanding the impediments, struggles and difficulties that comes with being a student. He understands hard work is what is necessary to become successful”.
The difference between the plantation and success is the power of internal motivation, determination and vision. This is in contrast to outer shame, lack of confidence and a sense of powerlessness.
This is the story of Dr. Diane Thompson the medical director of the Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) in New York, and an assistant professor of clinical physical medicine and rehabilitation at CUMC. She is triple board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation, brain injury medicine and lifestyle medicine, and is the author of two books.
She came to into this world from a mother who was pregnant at 15, who got kicked out of her home and also dropped out of school.
These are some lessons to be learnt from Dr. Thompson’s experience:
1) Rather than going under, Dr. Thompson use her childhood experience of asthma to motivate her to become a doctor.
2) At different stages of her life she kept visualizing how she could make this dream become a reality.
3) She was even prepared to work as a live-in helper and to work over 70 hours per week.
4) When she could afford her education, she caught up by taking extra classes during the summer .
5) She aimed for the highest and got to be in the top 1% of her class.
6) Even though she started with nursing and became a professor. Her life goals propelled her to persist beyond that so she went on to do medicine.
7) Apart from this, surmounted several barriers to get into medical school.
8) This doctor and publish author now gives back to others by promoting healthy lifestyles in her work.