This Week We Feature Young Professional Allison C. Leonard, Senior Accounting Officer for the Government of the Virgin Islands in the Public Works Department. Photo: VINO

Our Young Professional for this week Allison C. Leonard. Photo: Provided

Seeing the sport of Baseball rise in the Virgin Islands is a dream of Mr Allision C. Leonard. Photo: Provided

Along with his friends Allison C. Leonard is hoping that they would be an influence to youths of the VI especially in highlighting the game of baseball. Photo: Provided

Mr Allison C. Leonard graduated from Dominican College with a degree in business management. Photo: Provided

Leonard (right) playing during a recent basketball tournament. Photo: VINO/File

His passion is the sport baseball but also he has a love for the game of basketball which he plays as a pass-time. Photo: Facebook

But one thing is for sure, is that while he executes his daily duties as the Senior Accounting Officer at the Department, he has his eyes on another career path, something that can be safely be referred to as a ‘trend’ of life today. In some circumstances you find young people or persons in general starting out a job employment path doing something that they do not necessarily intend to do as “THE” career to take them through life.

Don’t worry PWD, there is one thing that is evident, our Young Professional has made it abundantly clear that he takes on his job with a passion and as such is very committed to it. “I choose to work at the department because of the fact that I love interacting with people and this organization provided that in the work place, it's never a dull day. I have been working at the department since October 2013.”

That commitment to his present job is being used as a guiding light to the bigger things he has his eyes on for the future. “My ultimate career goal is to be a successful entrepreneur in one of the many ideas that I strongly believe have a strong chance of being a successful businessman,” he said shying away from giving the details of those businesses he referred to.

However he did hint that it is highly likely to be in the real estate field.

Parallel to his profession in the accounting field is his passion and love for sport and for the average man in the Virgin Islands (VI) today the sports like of basketball, football, cricket and sailing and various forms of athletics are very common ones pursued. In the case of our Young Professional Mr Leonard has a serious passion for the sport of baseball.

“The sports that I have been involved in are baseball, basketball and volleyball. The one that I thrive in and relish the most is baseball. Baseball is a sport that I ran to when I needed to relax… it was a hobby and then I fell in love with the game at the tender age of 8 years old  and loved it ever since,” he told Virgin Islands News Online.

Mr Leonard’s schooling comprised of his attendance Simmons preschool, Enid Scatliffe, Althea Scatliffe, the BVI high school class of 2007 on the island of Tortola. “I then went onto Paul Robeson High School in Brooklyn New York to seek a better opportunity with the hope of obtaining a baseball scholarship and that wish was granted in 2009 by Dominican College in Orange Burg New York after I was rated the number ten public high school player in the state of New York,” he said.

At Dominican College Mr Leonard played baseball on a very successful number, 19, in America baseball team while maintaining an above 3.0 GPA. He graduated from Dominican College with a degree in business management.

Mr Leonard said that personally he sees baseball as a way kids can have the best opportunity to travel abroad, be seen and eventually start to sign scholarships like he had the opportunity to obtain, to get their degree as well of pursuing their dreams as a professional baseball player.

His thoughts on the sport here in the VI, “I also believe right now in terms of baseball we’re not at any level right now as a country. Coming up, I was lucky to have an opportunity to go to an American High school, unfortunately, some of my teammates, now that I know better, if giving that opportunity could have obtain at least a free scholarship as well. That culture is what I and a team of others will be working on so that it can improve immensely, and give the younger guys something to work towards. It's not going to be easy, nothing great never is but we will try.”

“‎My vision for baseball in the future is to start seeing this kids getting trained as best as we can get them so they can be able to compete internationally at a very high level. We need to get a league or two per year for the kids so they can start playing this sport again. I played in the future stars organization in St. Thomas as well of some of my other friends that just came back from college,” he said.

He said that St. Thomas is currently internationally known for baseball and he believes with the resources, colleges and pros, “once we get these kids learning the game and playing it often here and abroad in Florida, New York, Atlanta, Puerto Rico and St. Thomas, this can be obtained. I call all of these places out because you can be as good as you want to be, but unless you are getting exposed, nobody knows who you are. Also I don't only want these kids to do good on the baseball field but academics is first and foremost and I will make sure that each kid even if they are struggling will have a tutor or someone that can help them with their schoolwork.”

“A charge to the youths today is the fact that they have too much extra time on their hands and they seem to be following the wrong crowd and getting involved with the wrong things,” he said when asked for his advice to young people.

‎Mr Allison C. Leonard was born to Mrs. Perline Scatliffe-Leonard and Mr. Wallace Leonard and is the second child of four.