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Grasping opportunity when it comes
KEN CHAPLIN
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Joy Chang, a Jamaican-American, was recently promoted to lieutenant colonel in the United States Army, two steps below brigadier general. She is one of the highest-ranking female officers in the army.
KEN CHAPLIN
She attended Immaculate Conception High School and the University of the West Indies and resided at Hermitage, a community near August Town, St Andrew. She migrated to the United States in 1978 at the age of 17.
Lt Colonel Chang attended Florida International University from 1987 to 1990 and graduated as a registered nurse. She enlisted in the US Army in 1983 and was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas for three years. She left the army as a sergeant, continued her education and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Nursing from Florida International University. She rejoined the army in 1992 as a second lieutenant and was promoted to first lieutenant, captain, major and now lieutenant colonel. She earned all her promotions within a period of 20 years. In 1993, the army sent her to school to obtain a psychiatric nursing specialty.
Recently she signed up for another three years in the army and is heading for a second tour of duty in Iraq. Lt Col Chang has served in the two Iraqi wars. She was based in Kuwait at Camp Arifjam at the start of the first war in March 2003. In the second war, which is still being fought, she headed the Army's Psychiatric Unit in Baghdad and was based at the Abu Ghraib Prison which became infamous because of the illegal acts committed by a few American soldiers.
"Our mission there," says Lt Col Chang, "was to restore the honour of the American Army which I believe was achieved in one year."
She notes that the Psychiatric Unit plays an important part in the wars. The unit "takes care of soldiers with emotional problems and stabilises them so that they can return to the front". Members of the unit are also trained in combat tactics. Although she did not fight at the front, Lt Col Chang has to be combat-ready at all times and says she enjoys army life and considers it a patriotic duty to serve her new homeland.
Lt Col Chang praised the education she received in Jamaica, especially at Immaculate. She pointed out that her foundation was so well-grounded that she could adapt any mission to which the army assigned her. She attributed her success to hard work and discipline and urged young Jamaicans not to give up, but to apply themselves as best they can in everything they do, and find something to do.
On her return to Jamaica on holidays recently, Joy visited many places. She was disappointed in the large number of young people she saw idling at street corners and in villages and towns at a time of the day when they should be at work, in school or at training institutions. The country's richest asset, its people, is being wasted. This will make Jamaica worse off socially and economically in the long run. We have got to change the course and move forward strategically, Lt Col Chang said.
The story of Lt Col Chang should be inspiring to young people who are prepared to meet challenges and to set achievable goals. Her mother, Pearl Chang, has been a close friend of mine for more than 60 years. He father, Sonny Chang, died many years ago. They operated a grocery store at Hermitage before they migrated to the United States. In Jamaica many people finish their education at the primary level, which nowadays does not give a real start in life. In the USA, education and training for most begin after the primary level and secondary level. Joy found this out when she went to the USA and used every opportunity to move forward.
Education a way to opportunity
The problem with Jamaica is that many children do not complete their primary and secondary education and many leave school illiterate and become a problem to their communities and the country. Literacy experts have posited that dealing with an illiterate person is far more difficult than a literate individual. Many illiterates cannot reason on certain issues. I found this out when I was working voluntarily with ghetto gang leaders and gunmen in the late 1970s to preserve the peace movement in the western section of Kingston and St Andrew.
The leaders were also not overly concerned about the future. What some of them wanted immediately was money and positions in government for which they were not qualified. Opportunities were aplenty, but most ghetto young men and women did not have the basic education to pursue the opportunities offered.
Eventually all of them, except one, a female leader named Louise Fraser, fell by the wayside - by the gun, either in Jamaica or the USA. Fraser, who once "judged" a gun, changed course during a court trial. Justice Ian Forte (who later became a Supreme Court judge) talked to her. She promised the judge that she would never appear in court before him again or any other judge for that matter. She kept her promise and developed a profession as a promoter. She died of natural causes some time ago.
It is true to say that all governments since independence have failed to provide a sound education system which would, of course, include compulsory education. Mavis Gilmour as minister of education made an attempt in St Thomas but this fizzled. This column has always expressed the view that apart from religion, education at whatever level is the most important aspect of a person's life.
The aim of all liberal education, I read long ago, is to prepare citizens for earning a livelihood; to live a useful, productive life; live well with their fellowmen; and to make a contribution to their community and country. These are high ideals but they can be grasped.
Let us move on quickly to educate and train all our youngsters to grasp opportunity as Lt Col Chang has done. Delay will be disastrous.
KEN CHAPLIN
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Joy Chang, a Jamaican-American, was recently promoted to lieutenant colonel in the United States Army, two steps below brigadier general. She is one of the highest-ranking female officers in the army.
KEN CHAPLIN
She attended Immaculate Conception High School and the University of the West Indies and resided at Hermitage, a community near August Town, St Andrew. She migrated to the United States in 1978 at the age of 17.
Lt Colonel Chang attended Florida International University from 1987 to 1990 and graduated as a registered nurse. She enlisted in the US Army in 1983 and was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas for three years. She left the army as a sergeant, continued her education and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Nursing from Florida International University. She rejoined the army in 1992 as a second lieutenant and was promoted to first lieutenant, captain, major and now lieutenant colonel. She earned all her promotions within a period of 20 years. In 1993, the army sent her to school to obtain a psychiatric nursing specialty.
Recently she signed up for another three years in the army and is heading for a second tour of duty in Iraq. Lt Col Chang has served in the two Iraqi wars. She was based in Kuwait at Camp Arifjam at the start of the first war in March 2003. In the second war, which is still being fought, she headed the Army's Psychiatric Unit in Baghdad and was based at the Abu Ghraib Prison which became infamous because of the illegal acts committed by a few American soldiers.
"Our mission there," says Lt Col Chang, "was to restore the honour of the American Army which I believe was achieved in one year."
She notes that the Psychiatric Unit plays an important part in the wars. The unit "takes care of soldiers with emotional problems and stabilises them so that they can return to the front". Members of the unit are also trained in combat tactics. Although she did not fight at the front, Lt Col Chang has to be combat-ready at all times and says she enjoys army life and considers it a patriotic duty to serve her new homeland.
Lt Col Chang praised the education she received in Jamaica, especially at Immaculate. She pointed out that her foundation was so well-grounded that she could adapt any mission to which the army assigned her. She attributed her success to hard work and discipline and urged young Jamaicans not to give up, but to apply themselves as best they can in everything they do, and find something to do.
On her return to Jamaica on holidays recently, Joy visited many places. She was disappointed in the large number of young people she saw idling at street corners and in villages and towns at a time of the day when they should be at work, in school or at training institutions. The country's richest asset, its people, is being wasted. This will make Jamaica worse off socially and economically in the long run. We have got to change the course and move forward strategically, Lt Col Chang said.
The story of Lt Col Chang should be inspiring to young people who are prepared to meet challenges and to set achievable goals. Her mother, Pearl Chang, has been a close friend of mine for more than 60 years. He father, Sonny Chang, died many years ago. They operated a grocery store at Hermitage before they migrated to the United States. In Jamaica many people finish their education at the primary level, which nowadays does not give a real start in life. In the USA, education and training for most begin after the primary level and secondary level. Joy found this out when she went to the USA and used every opportunity to move forward.
Education a way to opportunity
The problem with Jamaica is that many children do not complete their primary and secondary education and many leave school illiterate and become a problem to their communities and the country. Literacy experts have posited that dealing with an illiterate person is far more difficult than a literate individual. Many illiterates cannot reason on certain issues. I found this out when I was working voluntarily with ghetto gang leaders and gunmen in the late 1970s to preserve the peace movement in the western section of Kingston and St Andrew.
The leaders were also not overly concerned about the future. What some of them wanted immediately was money and positions in government for which they were not qualified. Opportunities were aplenty, but most ghetto young men and women did not have the basic education to pursue the opportunities offered.
Eventually all of them, except one, a female leader named Louise Fraser, fell by the wayside - by the gun, either in Jamaica or the USA. Fraser, who once "judged" a gun, changed course during a court trial. Justice Ian Forte (who later became a Supreme Court judge) talked to her. She promised the judge that she would never appear in court before him again or any other judge for that matter. She kept her promise and developed a profession as a promoter. She died of natural causes some time ago.
It is true to say that all governments since independence have failed to provide a sound education system which would, of course, include compulsory education. Mavis Gilmour as minister of education made an attempt in St Thomas but this fizzled. This column has always expressed the view that apart from religion, education at whatever level is the most important aspect of a person's life.
The aim of all liberal education, I read long ago, is to prepare citizens for earning a livelihood; to live a useful, productive life; live well with their fellowmen; and to make a contribution to their community and country. These are high ideals but they can be grasped.
Let us move on quickly to educate and train all our youngsters to grasp opportunity as Lt Col Chang has done. Delay will be disastrous.
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