Sayyidd Cato switching to the right lane of life

Angelo Lawrence, Gleaner Writer

Mention the words Spanish Town to anyone and before you can complete your statement, a picture of chaos or other negatives is quickly painted. There would hardly be a vision of its many marginalised boys making the trek from bad boy to the holder of two master's degrees from Columbia University in New York and a teaching diploma and certificates from the Bethlehem Moravian College in St Elizabeth.

Not claiming to have broken any mould or seeking recognition for his achievements, Sayyid Cato is an example of what many Jamaican young men can achieve with a little help from the community and dedicated parents.

Born in the Old Capital, Spanish Town, and having attended St Catherine High School, Cato was far from being the well-behaved boy, which was expected of his parents Maureen Paisley and Noel Cato, who were known to be strict disciplinarians.

After being expelled from preparatory school on several occasions and not allowed to graduate from St Catherine High School due to behavioural issues, he went on to Bridgeport High School, where he gained passes in CSEC.

With a wise mother at his side, Cato continued his walk in the bad boy lanes of life with his friends without recognising the serious negative consequences that lay ahead.

However, his mother, who held advanced degrees in life's experiences, decided that a change in social environment was the medicine Cato needed to put him on the right track.

She registered him at Bethlehem Moravian College, high in the hills of Malvern, St Elizabeth, far from the hustle and bustle and streets of Spanish Town, where he did a year of remedial studies before entering the mainstream programme. After breathing the fresh air of Malvern, young Cato started to appreciate the efforts of his mother and the errors of his previous years and decided to make a change for the better.

Greener pastures

During his time at Bethlehem, he excelled in his studies and sat on the school's board of management as the student representative. After graduating in 2003, a motivated Cato looked to what he thought was greener pastures and migrated to the USA.

After securing a minimum-wage job at hamburger giant, McDonald's, it soon hit home that he needed to further his education. Cato told Rural Xpress, "It was rough, but I knew education was the train to destination success, so I went on to Lehman College and obtained my bachelor's degree."

Facing multiple financial challenges, a downscaled lifestyle, and motivated to become better equipped, Cato went on to the Teachers' College of Columbia University, where he obtained a master's degree in technology and communication in 2007 and another in education in 2009.

Currently pursuing his doctorate while lecturing at Monroe College as well as Mercy College, Cato, with a lecturer's command, said: "I am proud to be Jamaican and all that it has to offer, including its dialect, for at the end of the day, we are good and kind people, contrary to the image some of our misguided brothers and sisters cause others to have of us."

The government, said Cato, must provide the fuel to stir the entrepreneurial ambitions of our youth and small-business sector. This, he said, would deal a blow to crime and change attitudes, and ultimately, their future and that of the country.

Sayyid Cato, a youth once lost in the garden of hopelessness, despair, and bad company, rescued by a loving and caring mother who never gave up on her child, is today a role model and ambassador for his country.

rural@gleanerjm.com