Former high school dropout Kerine Davis has gone from driving a cab to running a college. She is now a formidable figure in both business and education.
Her college, Ocho Rios College, has gained a reputation for quality and for awarding millions of dollars in scholarships to young people in need.
The award recipients include residents of Davis’ challenging Faulkland neighbourhood, also known as Mansfield Heights, in Ocho Rios, St. Ann.
She proclaimed, “I’m from the ghetto.” In a place like Mansfield Heights, where you were born and bred, you have to rise above the rest because you will become sidetracked if you are not focused on what you are doing.
Davis said her strong disciplinarian father ensured she and her three siblings stayed in line.
When she became pregnant in Grade 10, Davis attended Brown’s Town High School, Exchange Primary School, and Oracabessa High School.
She acknowledged to The Beacon that her mental state wasn’t optimal during that period. Naturally, my parents were very disappointed, but I had to accept the situation.
After giving birth, Davis did not resume her secondary school studies. “My parents weren’t rich, but they tried their best as long as they were responsible for us. Once I got pregnant, I had to start taking on life by myself,” she explained.
Her parents gave her a lot in Mansfield Heights, and as a teenager, she built a small house there.
Davis found herself in a terrible financial situation, so she began pounding the pavement in Ocho Rios in search of work, particularly at reputable fast-food establishments.
At Island Grill, she obtained one.
“The manager gave me that job on a Wednesday afternoon. I had to clean and marinade 900 Best Dressed birds, Davis recounted. “I cleaned and marinated those chickens as though I were filing papers in my office.
I took delight in doing it that way.
She worked quietly until one day, she claimed, when a cashier failed to show up for work, and she received instructions to fill in.
She was shocked to find a letter of praise from an enthusiastic client she didn’t know in one of the major publications.
Davis outlined how she tore the letter out of the newspaper and submitted it during her following job hunt.
She got a position at Sandcastles Resort in Ocho Rios in this manner.
There was no turning back after that, she said.
Davis purchased a Toyota Caldina vehicle while working at Sandcastles and entered the taxi industry for six years. She also operated a bus on the route from Ocho Rios to Brown’s Town in her home parish.
Later, Davis travelled to Barbados to work in construction but was expelled for overstaying his visa.
She eventually returned to school and earned nursing and business administration credentials after refusing to let the incident prevent her from functioning.
After a brief stay in the Bahamas, she travelled back to Jamaica and launched T&G Job Agency and Document Centre, an internet café.
Davis found that many of her clients lacked fundamental abilities while providing various services, so she began to help them.
She told The Beacon, “I started [the college] by aiding folks who came to the internet café.
On October 9, 2012, Davis formally opened Ocho Rios College with 40 students within the Falcon Crest building in Ocho Rios.
Later, the institution moved to Little Pub Complex, Milford Road, Newlin Street, and finally Buckfield, all located in Ocho Rios.
Davis, who pursued a degree in Educational Leadership and Management at the University of the West Indies, acknowledged that establishing a college was difficult.
She admitted that maintaining the institution’s finances was one of the most challenging responsibilities.
The options available to hospitality, business, and medicine students are numerous.
Davis stated that students who perform well typically stand an excellent chance of gaining permanent employment and that work experience is guaranteed.
The extraordinary teacher said, “I offer myself to my kids.
She experiences an odd sense of pleasure and excitement whenever one of her graduates succeeds.
Davis is also a stickler for moral growth and professional success.
She is also the definition of generosity, as demonstrated by her awarding at least five scholarships to community members each year.
During our most recent graduation, which took place in January of this year, I presented each of the 40 graduates with a scholarship. I instructed them to choose a deserving recipient in their neighbourhood. That was my way of returning the favour and helping someone in need,” Davis added.
The mother of three responded to The Beacon when asked how she hoped to be remembered in the future, saying, “I want people to remember me as a go-getter and someone who blazed the path for others. Also, I would like to leave Mansfield Heights and St. Ann with Ocho Rios College as a lasting legacy.
