Councillor Donna Lumsden, Jamaican-born mayor of Barking and Dagenham in England, has called on students at her alma mater, Maverley Primary School, to strive for greatness.
The mayor, who stopped at her former school in St. Andrew during her recent visit to Jamaica, urged the students to believe in their ability to achieve success despite their circumstances.
Sharing her personal struggles and adversities, Councillor Lumsden told the students that she did not pass the Common Entrance Examination, which was the entry test for secondary school, and at age 14, she was left to care for her seven brothers and sisters when her mother died.
She was determined to succeed, gaining academic qualifications, and after migrating to the United Kingdom (U.K.), she successfully ran for the office of Councillor and then mayor of Barking and Dagenham and will be making a bid to become a member of the U.K. House of Commons.
“Coming from Maverley school, we are someone, so no matter what you are going through, no matter the circumstance, no matter the challenges, we can do it. Just forget the past and move on, I went through it,” she urged the students.
“I determined what I wanted, and you can do it too. Maverley school is a stepping stone. You have fantastic teachers and a lovely principal, when you have problems, talk. Make your challenges your strong point,” she told them.