Youth mentor launches second book

WESTERN BUREAU:

IT WAS an emotional, musical and wine-flavoured celebration on Sunday evening as patrons came together for the official launch of transformational speaker Conroy D. Thompson’s second book, Believe: Made for More, at the University of the West Indies (UWI) West Jamaica Campus in Montego Bay, St James.

The new book, which was published through the Falmouth, Trelawny-based Unfiltered Pages Publishing House, was a follow-up to Thompson’s previous literary outing, Rejected, Redirected for Purpose, which was released last year.

Both titles serve as support for his ongoing ‘Suit Up, Dress Up, Step Up’ youth outreach initiative, with proceeds from the first book’s sales going towards that project.

In addition to purchasing their own copies of Believe: Made for More, patrons enjoyed cocktails and were serenaded by classical singer Rory Baugh. They also got an opportunity to cast bids for an art piece by abstract and landscape artist Greg Owen, with proceeds from the sale of the painting to be distributed to needy students.

Thompson, a graduate of the Northern Caribbean University, explained that he sought to use his books to share his own experience of rejection by loved ones, in order to empower young people and other individuals who may be similarly impacted.

“For those who would have read the first book, you would have understood without saying anything why it was very important for me to ensure that I give a voice to those who feel that they were rejected in any way. That rejection is a divine redirection that leads you into the ‘more’ that you were created for,” said an at-times tearful Thompson.

“All of us were created with that ‘it’ thing, that not many of us, though we live, will ever find. It was important for me to share with others how to find that ‘it’ and dig deep in believing in themselves to understand that ‘more’ is at the fingertips of everyone,” Thompson added. “It was important for me to document this so that, long after I have left this earth, this legacy would be that I have changed the life of someone else.”

Dr Camir Ricketts, founder of the Minds of Jamaica mentorship initiative, praised Thompson’s drive to empower young people, including as an active mentor associated with the group since its founding in 2019.

“I am here to support the man of the evening, Conroy Thompson, and his second book, and I cannot wait to read it. He has been involved with us since 2019, and Conroy has been serving with us and has impacted numerous mentees, so I am fully behind him 100 per cent,” said Ricketts.

Sunday’s launch also saw Thompson making scholarship presentations to two needy students in keeping with the core mandate of his youth outreach programme. He made a separate presentation to the National Library of Jamaica where copies of his first book, Rejected, Redirected for Purpose, are currently available.

The launch was supported by several sponsors, including the Round Hill Hotel, the Half Moon Resort, Feel It Entertainment, Di Foto Shoppe, the Janet Richards Foundation, Nyam & Go Fast Food Services, and the Jewel Paradise Cove.

christopher.thomas@gleanerjm.com