J’can Shadane Ferraro is George Washington University valedictorian
Published:Saturday | June 25, 2022 | 12:09 AMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
OVERCOMING CHALLENGES to reach high-level goals has become a way of life for 29-year-old Shadane Ferraro, who last month became the first Jamaican and the first international student to give the George Washington University (GWU) School of Business Masters and Doctoral Commencement Celebration’s valedictory address.
Ferraro, who graduated from the Washington, DC, United States-based GWU with a 3.71 grade-point average on May 13, was elated at being chosen to address the school’s graduating class of 2022.
“I feel honoured and grateful for such an accolade, and as a Jamaican, I believe it is my duty to always represent my country in a positive way. At the same time, I am humble, but I think my family created more excitement for my achievements than I did,” said Ferraro.
“I mean, parading DC with a big Jamaican flag was more than enough. It almost felt like that Usain Bolt moment when he broke the world record,” she added, referencing the Jamaican sprint sensation’s legendary 100-metre world record of 9.58 seconds in 2009.
Being a big achiever is a trait that Ferraro cultivated from her days growing up in poverty in Cold Spring, Hanover, with her mother working as a labourer to support the family.
“I had first-hand experience with poverty as a child, where my mother could barely find food for Sunday dinner and money to send me to school. I saw the conditions of my mother working on construction sites and hopping trucks because she could not afford to take taxis,” Ferraro recalled.
Break generational curses
“I made the decision not to repeat the same hypnotic rhythm of my family and break generational curses by pursuing higher education. Even though access to [affordable] education was limited, I believe that once there is a will, there is a way.”
She eventually attended and graduated from the Herbert Morrison Technical High School, following which she pursued and attained the Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management at the Montego Bay Community College (MBCC).
During her tenure at MBCC, from which she graduated in 2019, she built up her leadership and networking skills by participating in a number of international conferences. Some of her most noteworthy experiences included her participation in the World Travel and Tourism Council on poverty reduction, environmental protection, and climate change in 2017, and her representation of Jamaica at the Center for Responsible Travel conference in Washington, DC, in 2018.
She was accepted at GWU in 2020 to pursue a Master’s in Tourism Administration with a focus on sustainable tourism. At that time, she was forced to face a new hurdle with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, but she persevered in maintaining her standards of excellence.
“The balance I had with my peers and outstanding academics has a lot to do with my self-management skills. I knew there is no such thing as time management because I cannot manipulate time; therefore, I manage myself,” said Ferraro, who aspires to become a restaurant owner in the United States and possibly influence Jamaica’s political landscape in the future.
MBCC Principal Darien Henry praised Ferraro’s go-getter attitude.
“We are truly proud of Shadane and her achievements. She represents the essence of what MBCC is: excellence at the highest level. At MBCC, we empower our students to rise above life’s challenges and reach their full potential through hard work … . This is the embodiment of the college of the future,” said Henry.