Known to many as the Marketing & Public Relations Executive of Digicel BVI, 26 year old Jasmine A. Perez might have been qualified in the medical field had it not been for happenstance, which saw her gain a desire for the field of public relations. Photo: Provided

Perez places great value in volunteerism, crediting it for preparing her for the world of work and recommending it to young persons whom she advises is a great way of acquiring the necessary job experience that future employers would find valuable. Photo: Provided

“Through volunteering I was able to learn a lot and now I am implementing it in the job that I’m doing,” said Perez. Photo: VINO/File

“For a young person reading this I would say that it is not just important for you to go to school. Even if you don’t get the traditional education you shouldn’t stop and say I can’t do it or it is impossible. You could get out there and volunteer,” she said. “You might go to college and still don’t get the experience you need for the job you’re looking for,” said our Young Professional. Photo: VINO/File

Perez places great value in volunteerism, crediting it for preparing her for the world of work and recommending it to young persons whom she advises is a great way of acquiring the necessary job experience that future employers would find valuable.

Our Young Professional has had a very interesting life and shared some of it with us.

“I was born in Columbus Georgia, USA. Both of my parents were in the military. My father was Jesse Perez. He was from a town right outside of Chicago, Illinois, [USA],” she told this news site.

“He [was from Puerto Rico]. My mom and him met in the military. My mother is from Tortola, her name is Linda Hedrington. But most people know her as Andrea,” she said.

“They met in the military, they got married. I have a sister and a brother both older than I am. My dad passed away after they got married and after he passed away my mom found out that she was pregnant with me,” she said.

“After I was born my mom was still in the military so I went to live with my grandmother in St John [US Virgin Islands] while she was living in the United States. I lived in St John from the time I was a few months old to when I was about seven. I went to Baptist Academy in St John. Most of my family still lives there,” she said.

“I moved to the States when I was seven and lived there in Virginia until I was nine and then I moved to Tortola. When I moved to Tortola I went to the Althea Scatliffe Primary School," she said.

"I was in the science fair which I won with a group and I was able to go together with other winners to Dominica to represent the Virgin Islands in the regional science fair,” she said.

Perez graduated from the Althea Scatliffe Primary School with honours. “I got the second highest score on my Primary Five exam. I went to the BVI High School and was part of the Drama Society. I was one of the original members of the society and we travelled to different places like Suriname for Carifesta to represent the Virgin Islands. We also went on a student exchange to Jacksonville Florida, USA for the drama programme,” she said.

“Then I went to college in Virginia at the Virginia State University, a historically black college. While I was there I was the public relations person for the Caribbean Students’ Association and then I went on to become its Vice President and then the President for the three years that I was there,” she said.

However, Perez said that she encountered financial difficulties and could not finish her degree. But she said that while there she worked with a professional photo studio and became certified as a photographer.

She said that this is something that helped her when she came back home and was looking for work.

“After three years in college I came back home due to financial difficulties and I was unable to finish my studies. So I decided to run for Miss BVI since it was a programme looking for young women to take part in and they could get a scholarship to go to college. I said I needed money to go to school so I said why not,” she said.

“I was originally going to school for health education but after running for the pageant and being exposed to television and radio and overall public relations, I considered and thought maybe I don’t want to be in the medical field,” she said.

“I got a job in photography,” she said, as she considered how fundamental her training in the arena was while she was overseas.

Perez said following this stint she applied for a job with the Government at the Government Information Service (GIS) where she was their lead photographer. “After that I left to pursue a radio opportunity. I worked for ZROD Radio for quite some time as a co-host for shows and for outside broadcast events,” she said.

“After that I was offered a radio show with ZVCR which I decided to take. Then I started my own business, Bell Entertainment focusing on temporary employment of hostesses etc.,” she said.

Perez had also started a group with friends who would get together every Friday and plan different ways in which they could help the community around them and volunteer for different causes.

“It was a great experience. It gave me the opportunity to do something I really love, community service. Unfortunately with life being the way it is you have to grow up and got jobs and we don’t have the time to meet as much as we like now. But for the three years that we did do it, it was very fulfilling,” she said.

Our Young Professional said that this experience helped her secure the job as the face of Digicel’s public relations and marketing. “When I was interviewed by Digicel one of the things they were most interested in was my community service,” she said. The experience was instrumental in her being able to now guide the company as to what causes are worthwhile.

“Through volunteering I was able to learn a lot and now I am implementing it in the job that I’m doing,” said Perez.

“For a young person reading this I would say that it is not just important for you to go to school. Even if you don’t get the traditional education you shouldn’t stop and say I can’t do it or it is impossible. You could get out there and volunteer,” she said. “You might go to college and still don’t get the experience you need for the job you’re looking for,” said our Young Professional.