September - Kemar Savoury
The popular Jamaican proverb, “If yuh waan good yuh nose haffi run,” epitomizes Kemar Savoury’s life. For almost two years he balanced being a student at the University College of the Caribbean (UCC) with his duties as a security guard, at JMMB Group. Savoury admits that he was prompted to become a security officer, having unsuccessfully applied for several vacancies while being unemployed in 2011, and being unable to assist in providing any financial assistance to his family.
The ambitious Savoury who hails from the eastern parish of Portland, successfully juggled traversing daily from Yallahs in St. Thomas, to attend early bird classes at University College of the Caribbean (UCC), before working a typical 12-hour day, as a security guard at JMMB’s head office, in New Kingston.
However the summer of 2017, was turning point for Kemar; as he decided to invest in his future by applying for the JMMB Group Summer Employment programme to work with the company’s systems department. Kemar shares that his transition from security guard to IT intern, and now network officer at JMMB, came to fruition upon approaching a member of JMMB’s Culture, Human Development and Training team about the prospect of participating in the programme. Having received a positive response about the possibility of applying for the internship programme, he did just that. He admits that being a summer intern came with sacrifices, “In order for me to become an intern, I had to give up working for two and a half months with Ranger Security Company (his then employer), which means that I (would) have a pay cut, but I (saw) this as a long-term investment in myself. The tradeoff is worth it as I would have gained more experience; it’s like paying for my education.” Little did he know at the time, that this internship would also form the stepping stone to become a part of the company’s systems department.
For Kemar the family-like atmosphere fostered at JMMB has been a major source of inspiration and support. He reminiscences on his journey explaining, “I decided to go to school after a conversation I had with Mrs. (Donna) Duncan-Scott, who asked me what I wanted to do with my life and I realized that she saw something -greatness - in me; since then I (was motivated) and decided to grab it and run.” He shares that JMMB Group also provided financial support through its Foundation to assist him in offsetting the cost of his tuition.
Unearthing the Passion for Information Technology
Savoury admits that with little formal training in information technology and having pursed business related courses at CXC level, his natural choice was a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration. However, after a year in the programme he decided to follow his passion, and pursue an area he believes is more marketable and hands-on area, and more suited for him – Information Technology. Giving further insight into his decision, he said, “Information Technology allows you to use your skills to earn on and off the job.”
His love affair for computers began during his former years at Paul Bogle High School in St. Thomas, and he credits the encouragement of Winston Welsh of UWI Open Campus, which was located on the school compound. He outlines that Mr. Welsh facilitated the natural curiosity for learning by allowing Kemar and a then friend Corrie Smith, access to the computer lab during their free sessions. Kemar notes that by watching his friend Corrie fix some of the computer problems that he created, allowed him to also learn along the way. Although not having a computer at home, he was always around computers because of the welcoming environment that Mr. Welsh created, he notes. He proudly admits that the first computer that he owned in 2012, he built, and to his own specifications.
The seed to further his education was planted in his head by his then high school teachers, Mrs. Elaine Stewart-Sinclair and Ms. Kayon Kentish, and laid latent until a few years ago.
High Praises for Summer Internship
During his internship, Kemar was tasked with daily PC maintenance, desktop support, basic networking infrastructure duties, while supporting other ad hoc network-related tasks. He had only high praises for the exposure and experience gained during the six-week period noting, “The internship (gave) me the hands-on experience and help(ed) me to put the theory into practice. I was also exposed to different terminologies and applications. (Additionally) I learnt about areas that I (had) not done in school (at the time), and so I look(ed) forward to doing the theory to reinforce what I learnt (t)here.”
Changing Mindset
Kemar is even more fixated on the pursuit of his degree, as he also sees it as an opportunity to break the status quo and change the mindset of individuals, who typically perceive security guards as being unambitious and lazy. He shares that, it is not so much where you are coming from, but where you are going that matters. Kemar’s journey to now being a network officer at JMMB, is proof of this saying, and showcases the rewards of taking a leap of faith.