Wednesday, November 20, 2013 is Universal Children’s Day
BASSETERRE St. Kitts, November 20th, 2013 -- It is a day designated by the United Nations "to observe fraternity and understanding between the world’s children." Universal Children’s Day is a unique opportunity to acknowledge, honour, and encourage our children.
There are many young people throughout the federation of St. Kitts and Nevis who exemplify excellence. By highlighting the accomplishments of just one of our budding young people, we are in fact celebrating ALL of them.
Sonia Boddie is a beaming, beautiful, vivacious, free spirited, confident and bright young lady who is the epitome of youth success. Her story is a timely one on which to reflect during Universal Children’s Day not just because Sonia is a successful young woman today but also because her life experiences offer other young people a perfect model to emulate.
Sonia excelled from an impressionably young age and she continues to shine today having pursued higher education and completed graduate studies attaining top honours at all levels. Sonia Boddie is poised to pursue exceptional things for herself, her peers, her federation and for every individual she encounters during her earthly sojourn.
SONIA'S STORY
A child of the early eighties, Ms. Sonia Boddie owes a great debt to her mother and maternal grandmother who contributed immensely to her overall development as a model citizen, instilling in her a strong value system and work ethic that would help in molding Sonia to blossom into a successful woman. Despite her mother’s migration abroad to pursue employment opportunities, she was actively involved in raising Sonia, whose academic excellence soared from kindergarten to her most recently acquired Masters of Public Administration.
Sonia's academic success is nothing short of remarkable.
She graduated from the Tabernacle Primary School as Valedictorian in 1996, earning herself a scholarship from the Cable and Wireless Company to attend the Cayon High School, and the subsequent two years spent at the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College, a tertiary-level institution of learning. At College, she also earned herself an additional scholarship from the Embassy of the Republic of China, Taiwan, to assist with her studies.
As a result of her academic potential, Sonia was later granted a Mexican Scholarship to pursue undergraduate studies in International Relations at the Universidad Internacional in Cuernavaca, Mexico, where she graduated not only with top honors in her field, but also with the overall best academic performance. Time and again, Sonia has successfully outshone her peers.
For most of her life, Sonia has been actively engaged in many other activities that facilitated her development into a well-rounded individual. In fact, during her tenure at University, she founded the first-ever Afro-Caribbean Dance Group, and taught this form of dance to students and members of civil society, who were later able to travel to various parts of Mexico to display this unique style of dance. She also served as the first Caribbean student ambassador at the University, and organized various events to showcase Caribbean food, culture and heritage. Sonia is truly an ambassador in every right.
UNIVERSITY SUCCESS
Sonia the teacher, the dancer, the beauty queen, the actress, the parliamentarian, the family advocate, the college graduate is a Caribbean-Canada Emerging Leader, whose competitive spirit moved her to compete for the 2011-2012 prestigious British Chevening Scholarship acquiring funding for her Masters Degree. Sonia outmatched all 250 applicants, earning the honor as the top selectee of the three individuals who eventually received said scholarships. She went on to utilize the scholarship, and in the end, obtained a Masters in Public Administration Degree with Merit from the University of Birmingham in the UK, in December 2012.
At the University of Birmingham, Sonia continued to distinguish herself and was selected as a post-graduate student ambassador. In addition, she served as the Student Representative to the Staff-Student Committee, for the students of her program. She also represented the University at the Harvard Model United Nations conference held in Boston USA, and participated in two study tours, to Berlin and Brussels.
SONIA THE COMMUNITY LEADER
In July of 2013, Sonia delivered the feature address at the graduation ceremonies of the Edgar T. Morris Primary School and the Dr. William Connor Primary School, and was awarded by the Edgar T. Morris Primary School for her “outstanding support and commitment to the institution.” One month later, she was selected by the Ministry of Youth Empowerment as the Female CARICOM Youth Ambassador for St. Kitts and Nevis, and traveled to Suriname to participate in the XI Caribbean Festival of the Arts (CARIFESTA) Youth Focus Learning Project.
In October, Sonia was selected as the St. Kitts and Nevis delegate to the prestigious One Young World Summit, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, by organizers and won herself full sponsorship from the organizers for her participation, from over 2,000 applicants worldwide. On November 16, Sonia was appointed Public Relations Officer of the Caribbean 4H Council Executive at a meeting held in Barbados.
Of the many hats Sonia wears today, she earns a living in service to others as a Senior Tax Inspector with the Inland Revenue, serving as the Supervisor of the Tax Roll, Intelligence and Education Unit. Sonia is a model employee for her workmates.
Just as she made waves academically, so too has Sonia turned heads in the field of drama, sports, pageantry and public speaking. Sonia has a lengthy and prestigious resume of accomplishments that continue to amaze and motivate others.
Sonia Boddie is a budding motivational speaker, and is nationally renowned as an advocate for Youth and Women Empowerment through her radio and television appearances, her enlightening articles and her solid involvement in community work.
Today, the radiant Sonia lives by the mantra, “There is no success without hard work”, which is the motto of her Alma Mater, the Tabernacle Primary School. She credits most of her success to the values and morals instilled in her by her mother and grandmother, and to the influence of the dynamic teachers she encountered along her academic journey, coupled with the foundation afforded her while attending the Methodist Church.
She aspires to serve the federation as a diplomat one day. Of course, Sonia also harbours a deep desire to marry, mother a pair of children, thereby solidifying the continuation of her proud legacy of rising from humble beginnings to prominence in the social, academic and professional arenas.
Ms. Sonia Boddie is without a doubt a "Youth Ambassador Extraordinaire"
As we reflect on Sonia's story, let us also envision ways in which we can build strong characters of our own children and those in our various communities.
Together, we can mold more of our nation’s children into “Ambassadors Extraordinaire.”
Happy Universal Children’s Day to all of our nation’s children!
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