This week we feature Young Professional Recaldo A. George
It is rare but great, when one finds something they truly love and gets the opportunity to do it as often as they like. Our Young professional this week is especially lucky in this regard. He fell in love with boats from a very young age and while he felt he should not limit himself to any specific profession, boats have been most dominant.
Virgin Islands News Online is proud to present our Young Professional for this week, Recaldo A. George.
As a boat fanatic, Mr. George is a skilled Marine Technician and one of the best the Virgin Islands has to offer. He specializes in fixing alternators, starters and the fixing and re-wiring of boats.
This is a skill he acquired while hanging around his dad’s marine company, Al’s Marine Services Limited.
However, although working at the company reinforced his love for boats, the love affair started way before that.
“My love for boats developed at a very young age as I grew up with my grandfather and we spent a lot of time fishing and diving for conchs. Also I spent a lot of time around my great grandfather Emmanuel Hodge who made boats down in West End.
Mr. George told this news site in an exclusive interview that “I never imagined myself in any profession that doesn’t have close contact with boats; I like anything once I’m dealing with boats.”
Our young professional attended the Isabella Morris Primary School then advanced to the BVI High School now the Elmore Stoutt High School, where he graduated in the class of 2002 from Keyboarding.
Straight out of high school, with all the training he gained over the years, he then jumped right into a fulltime position in his father’s marine shop.
Recaldo has been working with boats for over 10 years and considers everyday a learning experience which is fine by him as he loves the various challenges that arise while on a job.
As much as he is able to do what he loves every day, unlike so many others who are stuck at jobs they regret ever taking or applying for, he looks at his past and his challenges, and indicated that they made him who he is today.
One challenge he shared with this new site was, because he was so young at the time, his father didn’t show him as much as he could, or as much as he wanted to know, so he was at a loss at one point.
“…but there were other workers in the shop who took time out and showed me a lot… they taught me everything I know.”
He added “Gordan Payne and Eustace Cummings, both men worked with my father and took time out to show me everything they know, and all the credit goes to them.”
Apart from Al’s Marine, he worked at the Financial Services Commission and spent four years in England at a company called Sports Direct, where he managed the stock rooms.
He said looking back on his life, there is nothing he would change “because everything made me who I am today, I am pretty blessed, everything I’ve been through only made me stronger, they are all life lessons to me.”
When he is not working or spending time with his daughter, he is busy enjoying another love of his life, dancing on stilts with the BVI Elite Skydancers. This too he has done for over 10 years.“Most people know me from dancing on stilts. I love being a comic and entertaining people but it has also given me an opportunity to dance throughout the Virgin Islands at various venues. I have also been fortunate to travel to places like Guyana, Germany, Switzerland and London showcasing and representing Virgin Islands talent and culture.”
Through his talent on stilts he said he contributes to the Virgin Islands by keeping the art form of dancing on stilts alive.
Apart from his job/hobby, he also owns a small snow cone business called ‘Snowie’ which is now just over a year old. “It looks easy but it’s a lot of work”.
There are more than 40 flavours available once local flavours are in season. This business allows for more together time as he is able to spend more time bonding with his daughter as she likes product testing. Also, with his mom and grandmother who are instrumental in making the local products. Snowie can be found in the parking lot opposite Columbian Emeralds every Saturday.
To the youths of the Virgin Islands, he said crime doesn’t pay. He encourages the youths of the VI to stay away from drugs, stay in school and don’t be influenced by others into doing things they know they are not supposed to do.
“Take your time, stop trying to get rich fast because you will end up in jail even faster, don’t let greed [win] over your common sense.”
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26 Responses to “This week we feature Young Professional Recaldo A. George”
Keep your hard work up Recaldo
ONE LOVE R.A.G. IM PROUD OF YOU AND I’LL ALWAYS HAVE YOUR BACK NO MATTER WHAT!! XOXO..
p.s: Zi said to tell you… SHE LOVES YAH!
I commend VINO for these articles and say GOD BLESS THE BVI AND HER PEOPLE