GoodHeart | Calicia T. Vassell’s heart for service

Tears welled in Calicia T. Vassell’s eyes as two familiar faces lit up the big screen in the ballroom of The Jamaica Pegasus on Tuesday morning. There was her mentor, Germaine Barrett, CEO and president of the Jamaican Association for Debating and Empowerment (JADE), alongside her teammate and deputy programmes manager, Joshua Atkins. In a heartfelt video tribute, they officially shared the news that Vassell had been selected as the recipient of this year’s R. Danny Williams Visionary Award for Leadership and Volunteerism, announced during Sagicor Foundation’s annual scholarship awards ceremony.

“Just seeing them reflect on my character and my work means so much to me … I don’t very often put myself in situations where I have to hear people’s reflections on me and the work I’ve done … But it is always so moving to know that someone is believing in the vision that I believe in so much,” Vassell told GoodHeart moments after she collected the award.

A woman of many hats, the 22-year-old Integrated Marketing Communication major at the University of the West Indies, is driven by a common goal: impacting the lives of others. Her altruism has primarily led her to the world of debating, both locally and internationally, where she sits on the University’s debating team and serves as programmes manager for JADE. She also takes on several extracurricular and leadership roles, including serving as a councillor for the UWI Mona Guild and as part of the Guild executive.

“They say people do not do altruistic things purely for altruism, but for me it is pure altruism … I am not a fan of the spotlight. I do the work behind the scenes and execute it to the best of my ability, and what’s important to me is that the people who are to be impacted are impacted,” she explained.

When it comes to debating and her efforts to spread love for the craft, she credits Barrett and his expertise. Last year, Vassell, through JADE, organised a deaf debating competition in Jamaica in collaboration with Sign Clubs of Jamaica. She highlighted the importance of involving niche communities in communication initiatives so that they too can know that they are worthy or participating in mainstream conversations regardless of what barriers they face.

“So many people feel like they can only participate in certain conversations if they are smart or if they have a degree, and so many other sorts of misconceptions. However, my firm belief is that anybody can be a part of any conversation once they are willing to communicate. Communication doesn’t have to sound like standard English; it doesn’t have to use big words; it’s literally just telling whatever story you want to tell in the way you know best,” Vassell shared, adding that her and her team are hoping to eventually have blind debates.

While she isn’t entirely sure what career path she wants to pursue, she is currently most passionate about culture, as she delves deeper into her cultural studies minor. She hopes to complete a master of Philosophy in cultural studies after her bachelor’s degree, and then pursue a PhD.

Born and raised in Westmoreland, Vassell credits the strength, support and sacrifice of her mother, Sophia Davis, for who she is today.

“I am because my mother was. Everything that I do is a testament to my mother’s work and her sacrifices … My dad died when I was young … so my mom is quite literally the only person I’ve known for the majority of my life. So it’s so important to me that everything I do, she is able to feel proud of it.”

When asked what advice she would give to young people wanting to get into volunteering, she said the first thing is to be themselves.

“Figure out the one thing that is important to you and ask yourself how you can make a positive change in your community and your country. Once you figure that out, and let it guide you on your leadership and volunteerism journey, you’ll always be motivated to make a change because you are doing it through something that matters to you,” she said.

rollesha.laing@gleanerjm.com