High school dropout promotes education

Kerine Davis has faced numerous challenges in her life but used them as motivation to succeed.

She dropped out of high school at the age of 16 after she became pregnant, was denied a job in a food establishment due to a decaying front tooth, and was deported from Barbados after overstaying her time.

But instead of allowing the plethora of negative episodes to deter her, the 42-year-old Davis has consistently fought back and has overcome each hurdle.

"All of those experiences come together to make me the person I am today," she said.

Davis, while in fourth form at Oracabessa High School, got pregnant and had to leave the institution. She was not successful in being enrolled in other institutions and so she turned her attention to getting a job. One entity at which she sought employment was a food establishment, only to have the figurative door shut in her face in the worst possible way.

"One manager at a fast food restaurant said to me, 'Do you really want to work at this establishment with that rotten tooth in the front of your mouth?'," Davis recalled.

That snub, which would have shaken the confidence of others, served as motivation for Davis to have the dental issue resolved. She was eventually hired at the establishment and was assigned to back of the house duties. Her break came when a cashier failed to show for work one day. She was asked to fill in, which she did. It was then that her customer service skills were noticed, so much so that an article about her was published by a news outlet.

She then sought employment in a hotel and used the article as evidence of her work ethic and customer service skills.

"I said I have no experience, I know nothing about hospitality, but I have quality customer service ... that's how I ended up in the hotel industry as a waitress," Davis told THE WEEKEND STAR.

In addition to waiting tables, the industrious mother of three spent six years as a taxi driver, operating primarily in Ocho Rios, St Ann. She also spent time in Barbados where she worked in construction and operated a bar. When she returned to Jamaica, Davis enrolled in a business administration programme which was administered by the National Council on Technical and Vocational Education and Training. She also started an Internet cafe, which opened her eyes to the need for training among people like her. That was when the idea of Ocho Rios College was born.

"I believe that there should be a safe haven for persons who share my experience or similar," Davis said of her institution that offers courses in hospitality and business.