Growth & Jobs | CMU graduate transfers skills to banking

TWENTY-FOUR-YEAR-OLD KERECE Stewart has proven that one can overcome any obstacle in life with sheer determination and a strong self-will.

Since childhood, Stewart struggled with social anxiety, which created many stressful situations for her. Being a shy person, she became nervous easily in social situations. She readily declined public-speaking opportunities, experienced discomfort interacting with large group of persons, especially persons she was not familiar with, and avoided any activity that could easily cause her to be the centre of attention.

“I was an introvert, to the point that I became socially awkward,” related Stewart, a former student at Bishop Gibson High School and DeCarteret College in Mandeville, Manchester.

Having moved on to the then Caribbean Maritime Institute in 2015, where she pursued a bachelor’s degree in logistics and supply chain management, Stewart began to recognise that her social inhibitions were stifling her personal development and professional relationships. With a bold leap of faith, she made a conscious decision to challenge herself in conquering her fears.

“I know it is not ideal to go through life being socially awkward. After university, I would have to interact with the real world. If you want to build and maintain relationships, then you have to invest in yourself socially,” she reasoned.

Her motivation towards self-development led her to become actively involved in the JN Wise Aspiring Youth (JN WAY) Ambassador programme, a youth marketing initiative of JN Bank which is geared towards promoting financial literacy and empowerment among students at tertiary institutions.

NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY

“I saw JN WAY as an opportunity to grow socially, and an avenue to build relationships and to network with people,” she explained.

She successfully filled the position of JN WAY ambassador on campus, and was tasked with the responsibility of promoting financial literacy among her peers, initiating the opening of savings accounts, and making referrals for products and services offered by JN Bank.

Each month, Stewart was required to participate in monthly meetings with other JN WAY ambassadors who represented their tertiary institutions. Though scared at first to interact with them, whom she described as very outgoing, she remained resolute to overcome her social inhibitions.

Today, she credits the JN WAY Ambassador programme for changing her outlook on life and for opening doors of opportunities that she never imagined.

“It gave me my voice and built my confidence,” she said, adding that the programme also helped developed her leadership and planning skills.

Having been an outstanding JN WAY ambassador paved the way for summer employment at JN Bank in 2017, where she worked at the JN Foundation. That year, she was among 39 interns who participated in the eight-week JN Project NEXT Mentorship Programme, created to provide opportunities for interns to integrate their knowledge and theory through practical applications on the job. At the end of the programme, she emerged the most improved JNWAY ambassador and runner-up Project NEXT intern.

Still willing to challenge herself further in her personal development, she accepted the invitation from the Caribbean Maritime Institute to be an ambassador during its transition to becoming the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU). Subsequently, she entered the Miss CMU pageant in 2019 and won.

Following the completion of her studies at the CMU, she successfully filled a vacant position as a human resource (HR) officer with The Jamaica National Group. Though not working in the field she had originally intended to, Stewart quickly pointed out that she has been able to transfer the skills she developed at CMU to her job.

“I love HR. I’ve gained so much appreciation for the process, the people, and how we can contribute to the growth of staff. My work involves a lot of logistics, and that’s where I’ve found my calling.”

She is pleased that her effort to overcome her social inhibitions has paid off more than she expected. Though she has not fully overcome her challenge, she is happy about the significant progress that she has made so far and how her life has become better as a result.

“There’s still room for growth. I have a lot more potential,” she maintains.