This Week We Feature Young Professional Angela A. Penn. Photo: VINO

Born on the main island of Tortola and moving to Virgin Gorda at the age of four, Angela is the essence of the modern woman. She is a member of the BVI Red Cross and also the Sanctuary of Hope Youth Group. Photo: Provided

Angela A. Penn She is an aspiring poet, an active sports and community oriented person and career woman. Photo: Provided

Inspired by the late poet, author and rights activist Dr Maya Angelou, Angela has had a passion for poetry and writing since childhood and hopes to one day publish her manuscript of over 200 pieces of poetry she has penned over the years. She also wants to see in the Virgin Islands avenues created so that creative thinkers like her can achieve their potential in the arts.

 “I have many interests, so I don’t see myself being limited to where I’m at. There are a lot of things I’m interested in,” she said. “I’m interested in poetry, singing, rapping, art, photography and sports. I played basketball and netball,” she said.

Born on the main island of Tortola and moving to Virgin Gorda at the age of four, Angela is the essence of the modern woman. She is a member of the BVI Red Cross and also the Sanctuary of Hope Youth Group.

In her ‘day’ job, Penn is an Immigration Officer 1 based on Virgin Gorda, a job she has been doing for the past six years and one that gives her great satisfaction, although it is not without its negatives as she would go on to explain.

She is the only child for her mother and the youngest of three girls for her father. “I didn’t know them until I grew up,” she said.

Growing up in an extended family situation, Angela now resides in Handsome Bay Virgin Gorda. She lived with her mother, grandmother, aunt and cousins. “As a child I always wanted to know how could this house hold so many people and stand up to so many hurricanes. I remember hurricane Hugo in 1989 in that same house,” she said.

“In that neighbourhood I made a lot of friends and I would go to the beach…we would study together, play many local games and even make mischief! So I would say I had a fun childhood which was quite mind challenging,” she said. “At school the students would trouble me about my short hair,” she recalled jovially.

The well-grounded young lady said that in primary school she liked science and music. “But then when I got into high school I became a lover of mathematics and Spanish,” said Angela.

She said that while English was not her favourite subject while in school she ended up studying it while at the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College. “After High School I went to the HLSCC and enrolled in General Science at the time but I switched to General Studies with English concentration,” she stated.

“I graduated from there in 2006,” she said. Angela had graduated in the top five in primary school and in high school she graduated in the top ten with honours in 2003.

Angela said that because of the pressure to do the subjects that she was not very versed in, she made the decision to switch her studies at the College.

 “I would have to say that I wasted a lot of time at HLSCC considering I wanted to be a nurse, that’s the reason why I chose the General Science. However I did not have the foundation in high school and I had to start from scratch. It became a challenge because I knew nothing much about physics and chemistry and for me to go right into that stream would have been difficult,” she said.

After she completed her studies at the College she applied to various Government institutions for a job. She said that she started working as a teacher at the Bregado Flax Educational Centre on Virgin Gorda.

She said that after spending almost a year teaching at the institution she left and started looking for another job. After searching for about six months she landed a job at the Immigration Department. “I wanted a career path where I can deal with people as well as give back to my community,” said Penn.

“I like my job considering I can deal with the public as well as protect our borders and be an ambassador. At the same time it is a very challenging job because sometimes you get enemies for just doing your job,” she said. “It is a good job, a respectable job. You have to be willing to learn from those above you as a junior officer and be willing to learn from your mistakes also,” she said.

She insists that despite difficult situations she encounters with people sometimes, she is committed to keeping it professional at all times.

While she is happy in her current job, she wants her possibilities to remain open, especially in the arts and suggested an institution to cater for such talent as she exhibits.

“I think the Virgin Islands needs a stage for someone like me...we shouldn't be stagnant with our abilities. We should be able to bloom...the government needs to put something in place like this...If not, years to come in the future I’ll consider getting it done....An art school to cater only for specific needs such as art ,dance, singing drama etc.”

Her advice to youths is take advantage of their education while they have the time and avoid procrastinating. “Try to achieve what you can at an early age because the older you get the more difficult it becomes. Always believe in God and know that with him all things are possible,” she advised.