By Admin. Updated 2:59 p.m., Monday, March 10, 2025, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
Dr. Shara Ollivierre-Stewart shares how with great determination, perseverance and support she was able to overcome many stumbling blocks in her life allowing her to achieve her accomplishments today. ‘She believed she could, so she did.” quote by R.S. Grey is what she uses to describe her situation.
The following views expressed herein are solely those of the writer.
Who would have thought that a girl like me would achieve such an accomplishment? My name is Shara Ollivierre-Stewart. My childhood was a difficult one, riddled with homelessness and poverty. However, I was determined to make a difference. Here is how it begun:
As I neared the end of my secondary school education, I crafted a plan for my life. I understood the importance of setting goals and sprang into action, outlining my aspirations and the age by which I would achieve them. By 30, I envisioned being married, having children, and earning three degrees in Mathematics—my favorite subject since Junior 3 at Richmond Hill Government School. However, God’s plans were different, and I am grateful for His guidance.
While I accomplished much by 30, ten years later, I achieved one of my greatest milestones: a doctoral degree. Those who know me understand that I achieve whatever I set my mind to with God’s help. I cannot imagine my life without Him.
You see, I was born and raised in the big yard, now a wholesale enterprise, in Paul’s Avenue. Paul’s Avenue is viewed as the ghetto? But can anything good come from there? Of course! Life was tough, especially when basic needs, as outlined by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, were often out of reach. Yet, my mother, determined to secure a better future for me, sent me to live with my grandfather and his family in Union Island. This is where I began and ended my primary school education.
Determined to succeed, I worked hard academically. I remember teaching the plants by Miss Merle’s shop, playfully punishing them when they didn’t remember their lessons. I even taught the air to read and remember schoolwork; this became my daily routine to reinforce what I had learned. I knew that education was the key to “emancipating myself from mental slavery.”
After reuniting with my mother on the mainland, I attended the Kingstown Government School in Junior 1 at my aunt’s request so that I could retrieve my cousins’ books and uniforms. The following year, I was transferred to Richmond Hill Government School in Junior 2 because my older cousin decided that she can be of more significant help. Although I didn’t fully understand why I had to switch between schools, I was simply grateful to be in school. I knew I had to make a difference, and the only way I saw to do that was through education.
As school life continued, I was unsuccessful at Common Entrance for the first time not because of my potential, but due to an unstable home life. I lived in various places in Mala Village, Sion Hill, including an unfinished room exposed to the elements of nature and security threat. A lot of people tried to help my mother and her three children even if it included sleeping on the pavement in an unfinished house without a door. God extended his protection on us because He knew what He desired for my life.
It was God’s faithfulness that spoke to the hearts of two church members to pay for my CXC exams since my mother couldn’t afford it. During this journey, Philippians 4:13 inspired me: “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.”
Despite continuous struggles, I persevered through financial and emotional challenges in a society that often said, “You don’t deserve this.” I was never fortunate enough to receive any scholarship throughout my degrees but I knew the God I served because he owned the cattle on a thousand hills. I am especially grateful to GECCU for believing in my ability to repay my loans.
Five years ago, I enrolled in an Educational Doctoral Degree program in Educational Leadership (Higher Education). By God’s grace, I persevered, and in October, earlier in 2024, I earned my degree, choosing to celebrate my achievement in October, 2024. This walk was significant—it represented my ongoing freedom from poverty, my mother’s future stability, and my hope that my children will pursue academic success. It also signified the strong support from my husband, Johann Stewart.
Currently, I am a Head of Department at one of our secondary schools. On 14th February, 2025, I became a published author with the International Journal of Literacy and Education. You can find my article on “School leaders and tertiary-level lecturers’ impact by inclusive education” using the DOI 10.22271/27891607.2025.v5.i1a.248. Inclusive Education has been of importance to our Vincentian Education and I am determined to continue the conversation for the marginalized and underprivileged.
In closing, I say “Praise God from whom all blessings flow”. Once you believe and work towards your goals, you can achieve.
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