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.