St Mary High School
Classes Of 1960 - 2014
HIGHgate of Fame 2
ROSEMARIE BOOTHE, A ST MARY HIGH SCHOOL SUCCESS
STORY
Oracabessa has given us James Bond.
Oracabessa has given us popular tourists hotspots.
Oracabessa has also given us one Rosemarie Boothe.
Rosemarie hails from Coloraine Street, Oracabessa and though her
name is not as popular as James Bond's, her work is as price-
less, as she works tirelessly and dilligently to put St Mary High
School on the map, giving back to her alumni in so many ways.
She has always demonstated a special quality in leadership and
was once described by a close friend as possessing hands of gold
since anything she gets involved with, seems to flourish. She
would show her mental toughness and character as a member
of the cadet force at St Mary High School where she displayed
dedication and maturity while rising up the ranks.
As treasurer of the St Mary High School Past Student Association
(Florida Chapter), Boothie, as she is affectionately called, goes
beyond the scope of her title/duties spreading the word to
fellow past student about how important it is to give back to our
former school (which has given so much to us over the years), to
offer hope to thousands and to encourage a little smile on the
faces of many in these financially challenging times.
It was Rosie who almost single handedly gave birth to the
concept of a St Mary High School PSA (North America Chapter), a now
up and coming entity.
As Rosemarie takes matters into her own hands, helping where
help is needed, giving back even when it goes unnoticed, we
will follow in her lead and hope that one day no child will be
deprived of a stellar education and well being during their
St Mary High School experience!
And so for all this, we are proud of you, Ms Rosemarie
Boothe.
Rosemarie Boothe
DR DANE LEVY, A ST MARY HIGH SCHOOL SUCCESS STORY
In high school, Dane was not only an academic stand out, he
was also a gifted football player and was even chosen to lead
the team in the '70s where he and his brother, Steve, took the
team to unprecedented heights.
After life at St Mary High, Dane was accepted into medical school
where he eventually graduated as a medical doctor. Today he is
easily recognized as one of the island's top surgeons, and his
knowledge and expertise is often used on local TVJ where he
makes frequent appearances as a medical consultant.
Though he practices in the corporate area, Dr Dane Levy has
never forgotten his roots and is now chairman of the St Mary
High School Past Student's Association (Jamaican Chapter).
He is also President of the Portmore Chamber of Commerce.
And for all this, we are proud of you Dr Dane Levy
Dr Dane Levy
VERENE SHEPARD, A ST MARY HIGH SCHOOL SUCCESS STORY
Dr Verene Shepherd, a former St Mary High School standout,
and professor in the Department of History at the UWI and also
a fellow of the Cambridge Commonwealth Society, has been
appointed to the United Nation Human Rights Council's Working
group of Experts on people of African descent and will be rep-
resenting the Caribbean and Latin America. She will be taking
over this position vacated by the late Professor Rex Nettleford.
At the UWI, Prof Shepherd is a member of the steering commi-
ttee, Vice President of the Caribbean Historical Database Pro-
ject, consultant for the UNESCO Association School's Project
and the Text and Testimony Collective.
In addition to being an accomplished and well respected author,
Dr Shephard has also served as Facilitator for the Jamaican
Government Consultation Roundtable Workshop on the Social
Infrastructure in 1999 and was the First Vice-President of the
Jamaican Historical Society, also in 1999. She has been doing
research on the Jamaican economy and society - mostly the
non-sugar sectors of the economy and also work on the Asian
diaspora in the Caribbean.
And so for all this, we are proud of you, Dr Verene Shepherd.
Prof. Verene Shepherd
GARY ALLEN, A ST MARY HIGH SCHOOL SUCCESS STORY
Following in the footsteps of his older sister, Kay, a St Mary
High School sprint standout, Gary Allen started out on a quest
to prove that he was blessed with the same genes having dis-
tinguished himself at the school's sports day house races, win-
ning all his races emphatically. Unfortunately for Gary, running
would not be a part of his destiny as he would suffer misfort-
tune when a motor vehicle accident would cut his budding track
'career' prematurely. He was hit by a vehicle while on his way
from the National Stadium where he had just donned the green and
gold jerseys only hours before. Gary had suffered a broken bone in
one of his leg which ended his competetive running days.
But misfortunes would not stand in the way of this determined
youngster from St Mary who would work his way up the
corporate ladder at Jamaica's longest established and most
respected media group, RJR. Gary rose through the ranks
from radio reporter/producer to Managing Director.
Since taking over the position at the helm at RJR, Gary Allen
has been credited as the man who saved RJR, bringing them
back from the edge of disaster - bankruptcy and liquidation!
Gary Allen is the current president of The Jamaican Media
Association.
And so for all this, we are proud of you Mr Gary Allen.
Gary Allen
NICOLE MITCHELL, A ST MARY HIGH SCHOOL SUCCESS STORY
Though Nicole Mitchell is often considered a Wolmers High
School alumnae, it was in the hills of Highgate at St Mary High
School where she learnt the art of running track under the
tutelage of now famous track and field coach, Danny Haw-
thorne. Representing St Mary High School in the early 1990s,
Nicole Mitchell would destroy her opponents on the track so
much so that she was 'transfered' to an elite school (Wolmers)
in the city to take advantage of the facilities not provided in
rural Jamaica.
Nicole continued her prolific dominance on the track both at
home and abroad after leaving St Mary. At the girls athletics
Championships in Kingston, Jamaica, she lived up to all expect-
ations as she annihilate her competition and in 1990 at the
World Junior Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Nicole ran
well enough for second place behind Andrea Philipp of East
Germany. That same year, at the Carifta Games held in King-
ston, Jamaica, she would produce one of the fastest times
ever recorded in the history of these games when she won
the women's under-17 100m in 11.77 seconds. She would
go on to capture the 200m also in a time of 24.30 seconds.
The following year, Nicole showed no mercy as she continued
her assault on world athletics winning everyone and every-
thing on the track that was brave enough to challenge. At
the Carifta Games in Port of Spain, Trinidad, after delighting
her home crowd at the Girl Champs in Jamaica, Nicole put
on a similar display for the soca crowd, winning the women's
under-20 100m and 200m in fine style.
In 1992 at the World Junior Championships held in Seoul,
South Korea, Nicole Mitchell would light up the tracks on the
Asian Peninsula, winning the 100m ahead of Jacqueline Poel-
man of the Netherlands in 11.30 seconds.
1993, in her final year of eligibility at the Carifta Games held
in Fort-de-France, Martinique, Nicole left the games the way
she started - winning all of her races convincingly. After win-
wing the 100m, Nicole Mitchell would produce the second
fastest time ever recorded in these games over 200m in a
swift 23.25 seconds.
Nicole Mitchell would take up a scholarship in the US and she
also represented Jamaica. At the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georg-
ia, she helped her homeland to a Bronze medal in the 4x100m
relay.
Ato Bolton of Trinidad and Tobago and a track and field
TV analyst in the United States, often remark about her glorious
days on the track.
And so for all this, we are proud of you, Ms Nicole Mitchell.
Nicole Mitchell
PERCIVAL SPENCER, A ST MARY HIGH SCHOOL SUCCESS STORY
St Mary High School has made it a tradition producing great fe-
male sprinters; Percival Spencer would help to tilt the battle of
the sexes albeit only minutely. In the mid 1990s, a young
Percival Spencer, coached by Danny Hawthorne, would grace the
tracks at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica at the Boys
Athletics Championship and walked away with the title of The
Most Outstanding Althlete at the meet after finishing a close
second in the 100m finals and powering to victory in the 200m.
Percival would subsequently attend Texas Christian University
where he is regarded as one of the best athlete the school
has ever had.
Percival Spencer is one of only a few Jamaicans to have dipped
below 10 seconds over 100m.
And so for all this, we are proud of you Mr Percival Spencer.
DR MARIA ROPER-KONG, A ST MARY HIGH SCHOOL SUCCESS STORY
Dr Maria Roper-kong has seen a member of her family, her father,
impress Jamaica and the world, as the senior Roper is widely re-
garded by many as Jamaica's best international swimmer having
performed credible at several summer olympics. But Dr Roper-Kong
has created a few acolades of her own...her impressive resume
includes being the second woman in over 60 years and the first
foreigner to head the National Association of Real Estate Brokers
in the United States and was also third vice president for it's
Woman's Council and president of the South Florida Board of
Realtists. Her hard work and drive has taken her from California
to New York, from simple homes to the White House!
Maria is an entrepreneur who has excelled in her field of expert-
ise, taking her company from obscurity to new and impressive
heights!
As a philanthropist, Dr Roper-Kong has repeatedly given back to
local organizations and institutions in her parish of birth - St Mary.
And so for all this, we are proud of you Dr Maria Roper-Kong, who
is the current president of the St Mary High School Past Student
Association (North America Chapter)
Dr Maria Roper-Kong
MR. RODNEY MILLER, A ST. MARY HIGH SCHOOL SUCCESS STORY
St. Mary High School's past students have never shied away from
the limelight when it comes to journalism and the media whether
locally or in the diaspora. Mr. Rodney Miller has exemplified this
tradition when upon graduating from St. Mary High School, he
found work as a rural correspondent for the Jamaican Gleaner.
Here he gave accurate and descriptive insight into the often
neglected matters concerning and affecting rural Jamaica.
A few years later, Rodney Miller landed a job at CVM Television,
this time as a broadcast journalist/reporter. So obvious and nat-
ural were the talents of this rather modest youngster from St.
Mary that soon he was in high demand and before long he had
worked his way onto the radio waves working at Newstalk 93FM
as a news coordinator and supervisor.
Mr Rodney Miller would graduate from the UWI with a degree in
History and a minor in Anthropology. These days, Rodney can
be found in the Orient where he is kept busy as an English
teacher in Japan.
And so for all this, we are proud of you, Mr Rodney Miller.
Rodney Miller
Patrick White past student of the class of 1979 was the first successful past student in gaining a Phd. degree which he received from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Patrick then went on to work for Bell Laboratory leading the research team that developed the Asynchronous Transfer Mode communications protocol. At one point in time this was the most widely used protocol in the world after the internet protocol. Patrick then later became the Vice President of Strategy at Bell Atlantic, the predecessor of Verizon Communications. He also became a member of The Technology Advisory Council at The US Federal Communications Commission and also The McCormick Advisory Council at Northwestern University. Patrick is now currently a member of The Board of Visitors at The University Of Pittsburgh. Way to go Patrick we are proud of you.