Malike Kellier, Man On The Move

Mr. Malike Javone Kellier is a young man poised to do great things. Malike was born on January 19, 1992, in Montego Bay Jamaica where he grew up in a close knit family setting. He credits family support as one of the central pillars to his continued success. “My mother ensured she started my foundation at a good school and impressed on my sister and I the importance of doing well. This was underscored by the constant encouragement from grandma, dad and our Aunt Donett Muir who ensured we had all the resources to do well at school,” he stated. He also asserts a belief in the Christian faith, “I believe each individual has a God-given purpose to illuminate the earth with their talents and service to their fellow men.”

Malike is a recent graduate of the Norman Manley Law School where he was President of the Students’ Association and Valedictorian of the 2015 class. “I have always been a ‘chatter box’ from a very tender age. I loved debate, drama, speech and public speaking competitions and I was also the one chosen to speak for and represent my colleagues at school. As I grew I was very comfortable assisting persons and advocating on their behalf to school administration. I believe I could use this advocacy gift of mine to make a worthwhile contribution to my nation and by extension the Caribbean Region,” he said as the now lawyer and adjunct lecturer at Faculty of Law, UWI Mona recollected his motivation towards becoming a member of the legal profession.

Malike likes travelling, embracing new cultures and meeting new people. He highlights exploring the Caribbean region as one of his short term goals. “I have already started this journey thanks to UWI STAT (Students Today, Alumni Tomorrow) Vice Chancellor’s Ambassador Corps where as an Ambassador I was sent to different islands (namely Dominica, Antigua and Anguilla) to promote the UWI as the place of choice for tertiary studies to secondary school students; these experiences have allowed me to interact and network with people and get a taste of their culture and visit some places of interest in these territories,” he explained.

In addition he intends to work for the Jamaican government, preferably at the Director of Public Prosecutions or as a Clerk of Court as he believes there is a wealth of information to be gained from working with these arms of government. He also sees working in such institutions as an opportunity to become more confident and seasoned in the law as an advocate and researcher. Eventually he wants to lecture and intends to complete post graduate studies in Public Law or Human Rights as part of preparing himself for teaching or the judiciary (bench).

Currently Malike is a member of the Rotary International, where he was an active member since High School and Toastmasters International which he recently joined. He also advises the Jamaica Union of Tertiary Students (JUTS) which represents all Tertiary institutions in the island on various issues students face to the government. Malike is also a member of JADE (Jamaica Association for Debate and Empowerment) which seeks to develop interest in debate and public speaking amongst tertiary students around Jamaica.

While at UWI (University of the West Indies) and in High School (Cornwall College) he has received numerous awards, scholarships, prizes and medals for excellence in academia, involvement in extracurricular activities and Prizes for entering essay competitions and performing arts competitions: speech, drama, music , traditional folk forms and debate/public speaking.

Malike credits his teachers over the years as role models. “Their commitment to ensuring the nation and region’s future is in good hands makes their efforts admirable and often goes unrecognized. I must commend by teachers and Principal Mrs. Ferris Gordon-Wilson of Montego Bay Preparatory School for instilling in me the importance of extra-curricular activities, my Vice Principal at Cornwall College Mrs. Lorna Rampasard, JP for reminding me that with faith all things are possible and I am to continue to work hard for what I want. For lecturers at the UWI such as Dr. Leighton Jackson, Mr. Westmin James, Mr. Jeff Cumberbatch, Mrs. Karen Nunez-Tesheira and Ms. Alana Lancaster to name a few for believing in me and showing interest in my welfare and to the Principal of the Norman Manley Law School, Ms. Carol Aina for her encouragement and Ms. Dorcas White, Senior Tutor Emerita for her constant prayers, correction and support while at law school and reminding me that I must always banish self-doubt and flourish!” he stated.

National Pride
I love the resilience of our people; Jamaicans are indeed trendsetters and go-getters on the regional and world stage. I admire the many success stories of our people who achieve great things in all areas of life such as academia, entertainment, sports to name a few and their resolve not to be daunted by challenges but to rise to the occasion and be the best that they can be. Some of these people also use social media to promote positive thoughts among young people to help to continue building on the resilient spirit of our people such as Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Usain Bolt in Sports, Professor Stephen Vasciannie in Law/Academia and artistes such as Shaggy and Sean Paul through their entertaining hits. Having studied at the UWI Cave Hill I learnt the importance of also loving the country I am from and being willing to share my culture with my colleagues as though we are similarly washed by the Caribbean Sea each has a unique culture to share with one another in developing the holistic / rounded Caribbean citizen. This pride was exemplified through my involvement in the Jamaica Association of Students’ at Cave Hill (JASAC) where I was involved in the play and other activities throughout our island week, memories to be treasured forever.

From Malike to the youths out there 
Always put your best foot forward in whatever you do. Don’t be deterred by failure as it always provides an opportunity for you to learn and grow from a mistake. Dream BIG dreams BUT work towards achieving these dreams by being involved and diligent to the task at hand you set out to achieve. Aspire to be balanced in your life-relationships, academia and service. As though it is a ‘juggle’, it is a worthwhile experience that will shape you into a well-rounded and wholesome individual.