Husband and wife experience first graduation together

Shamoy Ferron Smith and husband Javan Smith are celebrating a milestone they never expected to achieve together: their first graduation.

The couple, who initially met during their high school years, recently graduated from L.E.A.D. Mentorship Theological Seminary Bible College. The online school has branches in Jamaica, the United States of America and the United Kingdom. It was the first time either Javan or Shamoy participated in a graduation ceremony from a learning institution.

"It was a mix of emotions," Shamoy said as she described their graduation ceremony. "I wanted to just smile because what the history about my husband is, he has never graduated in all his life. At basic school there was not a graduation. Our primary school had a graduation but our parents could not afford it and the same thing for high school." She said that travelling to the graduation really caused them to reflect on their journey.

But things didn't start out great for the couple even though they met as teens.

"We started at Lewisville High School [in St Elizabeth] in 2000, but we didn't reconnect until 2014," Shamoy recalled. "Back then, we couldn't get along at all. He was my worst nightmare, and I was his worst nightmare. I could not look at him [because] he would get upset, and he could not look at me, it would trigger me."

In 2014, Shamoy, who was a practical nurse at the time, and Javan, a farmer, reconnected and began dating. Shamoy, a devout Christian, introduced Javan to her faith, eventually leading him to embrace Christianity and get baptised in 2016. The couple did not wait long to tie the knot; they wed in December of the same year.

"It was a transformative journey," Shamoy said. "I knew he had dreams of becoming a cricketer or an accountant, but God had other plans for us."

Shamoy said she had encouraged Javan to pursue theological education and after trying to find an institution for him to attend, she was encouraged by L.E.A.D.'s founder, Dr Karlen Atkinson, to also apply. But the decision initially seemed daunting due to financial constraints.

"She gave us two weeks to pay the school fee and registration fee to get our ID numbers. At that time we were late on our rent and light bill and with no clue how we were going to pay," Shamoy said. But their prayers were answered unexpectedly.

"I remember sitting at home one night, feeling hopeless. Suddenly, my phone rang [and] it was Dr Atkinson from the college. She said, 'You can start school, and you'll figure out the fees along the way.' And I just said thank God!" said Shamoy.

Their college journey wasn't without challenges. Balancing studies with work, Shamoy eventually shifted from practical nursing to hairdressing to accommodate her ministry commitments. But after a gruelling year of study, they graduated on June 8. Shamoy believes it was perseverance and faith that led to their success. Javan graduated with honours, a moment of immense pride for both of them.

Looking ahead, Shamoy has taken on a new role as the marketing manager for the Jamaica campus of their alma mater, a position that aligns with their commitment to service and leadership within their church community.

"We have a feeding programme for the homeless in Santa Cruz, Black River, and New Market," she added.