Dr Garth Walker – grounded in Jamaican value system

THE EDITOR, Madam:

I am writing in response to the November 3 story in The Gleaner about Dr Garth Walker, a first-generation Jamaican-American who is the recipient of a White House appointment. Dr Walker ’s background shows the combined positive impact of mentoring, a disciplined and supportive academic environment and effective intervention on the young man’s life. But first, a correction. Dr Walker is a White House fellow. He is not a presidential fellow as the story stated. White House fellowships offer exceptional emerging leaders first-hand experience in the process of governing America and personal involvement in the leadership of that society. Dr Garth Walker is the second Jamaican-American to have received this appointment. Former US Secretary of State, the late Colin Powell, was the first.

Dr Walker’s father, Dr George L. Walker, is a proud (1957-1964) St Jago High School alumnus who has supported his alma mater for many years. Dr George Walker says St Jago, along with his parents, gave him a solid start. “I and other St Jago students greatly benefited from the demanding and supportive academic, cultural and sports environment that laid the foundation upon which I’ve built my life. My wife, Shirley, and I have tried passing on to our four children the outstanding values we learned while attending school in Jamaica. We are happy that our children’s decisions often reflect these values. We are very proud of our Jamaican heritage, which is in large part responsible for our achievements and that of our children, all of whom are outstanding adults and exceptional achievers,” he said.

An outstanding athlete, from 1961 to 1963, George Walker represented St Jago in the Manning Cup competition. He captained the football team in 1963, and the track team from 1967 to 1968. George won the one-mile race at Boys’ Championships in 1963, and represented Jamaica against Trinidad schools at Jarrett Park, Montego Bay. While at St Jago, two outstanding Jamaican Olympians, Mel Spence and Herb McKenley, coached George in sprinting. Herb mentored him, ultimately getting him a track scholarship to the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana and forever changing the trajectory of George’s life.

Many great Jamaican athletes have honed their abilities at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana – George Kerr, Ernie Haisley, Paul Foreman, Gil Williams and others. While earning a BSc in biology, George represented the school in 800 and 1,000-metre races, captained the track and field team, and was a Big 10 honouree in both distances. He later attended the dental school, graduating in 1973. Subsequently, George established a dentistry practice in Chicago.

While Garth and his twin brother, Laird, attended graduate school in Chicago, his parents wanted them to benefit from the academic focus, discipline and supportive culture in Jamaica. “We wanted our sons, at a young age, to experience some of what benefited us growing up in Jamaica and attending school there,” George said.

In 1998, the Walkers enrolled their sons at Belair Early Childhood and Preparatory School in Mandeville, where the boys benefited from the school’s disciplined academic focus and the supportive environment before returning to Chicago for high school. Since then, they’ve grown into mature, responsible and empathetic young men who are grateful for the beneficial Belair experience and love Jamaican culture.

In 2017, Garth proposed to his future wife in Jamaica. COVID-19 forced the couple to cancel their wedding plans, they got married the following year in Chicago. Recently, they moved with their infant son to Washington DC to take up Dr Garth Walker’s White House fellow position.

KAY OSBORNE