Asia Natalia Gilharry-Personality of the Month Award Recipient-(May, 2020)
THE KENRICK MARK COLEMAN FOUNDATION
“Intelligence, Discipline, Wisdom, Excellence”
PERSONALITY OF THE MONTH AWARD
“Recognition for exemplifying the qualities of a Hardworking, Talented, Intelligent, and Deserving Young Belizean”
Asia Natalia Gilharry
Personality of the Month Award Recipient
(May, 2020)
And now, The Official Interview with Kenrick Mark Coleman!
1. Tell us about yourself. Where did you grow up? What was your family like? What three words best describe you? Why?
I grew up in a close-knit neighborhood in Corozal Town. To me, there is nothing more important than my family. Without their love and support , I would have never became the person I am today.
It is because of them that I have learnt to be a hardworking, ambitious and independent person. I was taught (at a very young age) that anyone can achieve anything if they work hard. Moreover, it is also very important to have ambition in order to have a ‘driving’ purpose in life . My family also taught me to never depend on others. They reflected that to be happy or successful, the only person in full control of my life journey and achievements is me.
I am very lucky to have parents who allowed me to have a balance between my academic and social life. This allowed me to become a well-rounded person. I am also very grateful to have siblings I can count on whenever I need motivational words or simply a friend to be carefree with.
2. What are your future aspirations?
I aspire to become an Ambassador for Belize. It is my hope to build healthy relationships and aid in the development of our country. As a Belizean citizen, I hope to be a positive role model to upcoming generations and remain involved within my community.
3. What do you think is one of the major challenges affecting teenagers in Belize today? What is the cause of this challenge and how would you go about correcting the situation?
I think that our teenage years are some of the most crucial in our lives as we begin to figure out who we are and what type of person we would like to be. Many a times teenagers are faced with great expectations from their family, teachers and their community which weighs heavily on our shoulders. This often leads teenagers to ‘bottle up’ their emotions instead of talking about them which could negatively impact them, later on.
I believe that this is the leading cause of the increasing numbers of depression. I think that people should be more considerate of the mental strain they can cause on teenagers when too much pressure is placed on them. It is impossible to expect grown up decisions from someone who is still transitioning from their childhood and discovering so much about themselves and their place in the world.
4. Which holiday of the year do you enjoy most? Describe it.
I know that Halloween is not necessarily considered a holiday, but this is my favorite time of the year. While Halloween is near my birthday, I’m not being biased (smiles). I genuinely enjoy dressing up and going trick-or-treating with my friends and family. My mother always organized a neighborhood trick-or-treat route and a small Halloween party in the end at my grandmother’s house. It was so much fun to create our costumes every year and count all our candy at the end of the night.
When I grew up (child to youth), I began to realize how important this was in keeping the neighborhood together , and even spreading joy to the elderly people including my grandparents.
5. What is your most memorable experience and why?
One of my most memorable experiences was travelling to Trinidad and Tobago to represent Belize in the Miss Divali Nagar pageant at the age of 15. Not only did I get to explore a new country, but I also learnt more about my culture and even teach others about Belize. I felt so proud and vibrant representing Belize on the international stage. It was at that moment I realized the true meaning of having national pride (which I believe many of us lack as BELIZEANS). I believe that we should embrace more efforts in learning and understanding our history and preserving our national treasures.
This experience further influenced my interests in joining environmental clubs and cultural organizations.
6. I am really impressed with your biography. Please share with us some of your major achievements?.
Some of my major achievements are:
*Top 10 — Outstanding Candidates for Primary School Examination
*Top 3 — Honor Students in High School
* Passed a total of 10 CXCs
*Belize Bank Scholarship Recipient
*4 years back to back Champions at the Belize Band Fest
*Top 5 Finalist at the Miss Divali Nagar pageant in Trinidad and Tobago
*Top 10 Honor Students in Junior College
*Passed a total of 9 CAPE Units
*MOFA Scholarship Recipient
7. You graduated from Corozal Community College with Third Highest Honors. Share with us a story of your life at high school leading up to the big moment. What’s your secret to hopeful honor graduates?
I made some of the best memories growing up at high school. While the academics was my priority, I also made many close friends and built great relationships with teachers who inspired me to reach my true potential. I also gained a second family throughout the five years of being involved in the marching band and dance company. I spent many hours training and supporting our members, even more time than being with my family.
Despite being busy all the time with extra-curricular activities, my academics was always foremost because I had to maintain a GPA above 3.5 to remain a member of the band. In all honesty, I did not expect to graduate with the third highest honors. I just did my best because that is truly all one can do.
8. In your bio, you stated that you were a member of the Student Government, at high school and junior college. How Fascinating! Tell us more about your experience? Did you make any significant accomplishments? Do you plan to move into National Politics?
Being involved in Student Government really broadened my perspective on the school system as we constantly attended workshops and conferences to see how the country can improve its curriculum to model the type of citizens we would like to have in the future. Another key point I learnt while being involved is how easy it is to be efficient as an institution when the administration and student population learn to communicate through a medium such as the student government.
Communication is the key when working with a large group of people. More importantly, we need to listen to what people have to say. Some feedbacks included a.) the school lacking a vibrant spirit and 2.) the students had become nonchalant about national and international issues. We tried to find ways to bring awareness while making it fun to keep the students engaged. Many times, we asked for the counselor’s support with events such as sidewalk art. This project generated a theme about a national issue and allowed students from each class to infuse creative drawing, constructing banners to bring awareness of the issue. Small events like these are what made the difference in the student population. It kept them involved and luckily these events continued even after the new SG elections. Although I enjoyed these experiences, I do not have any intentions to move into national politics.
9. Can you share a small story of your preparation for the CXC and CAPE exams? Can you list all the exams you took and results? How did you feel after the many victories? What advice do you have for those who are following in your footsteps?
Most of my preparations for CXC were done in the classroom with our teachers. We did stay back after regular class time to do some extra material, but it wasn’t much compared to the preparation for CAPE. Not many people take CAPE exams so not a lot of information is given to students about it. Luckily, I had my brother who spoke to me in advanced and filled me in on necessary steps I needed to take such as informing teachers about my interest from the beginning of the semester and investigating what subjects I needed to add in order to be prepared for certain exams. Hence my preparation for CAPE began from the first semester of junior college to the very last weekend sessions. I was very lucky to have teachers that were willing to go the extra mile in preparing me for these exams and even used their free time to check my SBAs or go over certain topics.
CAPE really pushed me to become more disciplined in my studies and taught me how to make sacrifices to achieve my goals. There were many times I would have preferred going out with my friends instead of working on research papers or doing practice questions. Thankfully, I can proudly say that I passed every single CXC and CAPE I signed up for. My advice for potential CXC/CAPE candidates — work hard and never lose sight of the bigger picture, and remember to relax sometimes.
List of CXC &CAPE Exams & Grades:
Physics — 1 (CXC)
Literatures in English Unit 1–3 (CAPE)
Mathematics — 1 (CXC)
Literatures in English Unit 2–2 (CAPE)
English A — 1 (CXC)
Caribbean History Unit 1–3 (CAPE)
Spanish — 1 (CXC)
Caribbean History Unit 2–3 (CAPE)
Human and Social Biology — 1 (CXC)
Spanish Unit 1–2 (CAPE)
Biology — 2 (CXC)
Spanish Unit 2–2 (CAPE)
Caribbean History — 2 (CXC)
Advanced Mathematics Unit 1–3 (CAPE)
English B — 2 (CXC)
Communication Studies — 2 (CAPE)
Social Studies — 2 (CXC)
Caribbean Studies — 2 (CAPE)
Chemistry — 3 (CXC)
10. You also excelled at Corozal Junior College, earning a placement in the Top 10 graduates. Did you receive a scholarship? What were the most demanding obstacles at CJC? What three important things did you learnt?
One of the greatest challenges was trying to cope with the extra classes (preparing for CAPE, including the SBAs). In addition, I had some struggles when it came to prioritizing study sessions, for example reading for my Spanish class and socialization, with friends and family. I slowly learnt how to discipline myself and use my time wisely to get all my tasks done.
Furthermore, I learnt how to really appreciate my teachers because without their constant encouragement and help, I would not have came this far. Finally, we should all know that hard work pays off because after my two years at the Corozal Junior College, I was awarded the MOFA Scholarship.
11. You are currently in Taiwan, enrolled in a language program, in preparation for your undergraduate degree. Do share a little story?.
I am currently doing my one-year course in Mandarin as a second language at the National Taiwan Normal University Mandarin Training Center. I found out about this university through Belizean students that had attended prior and decided to attend based on their high recommendation. Although we only have two-hour sessions per day, I must say that learning mandarin over these past 7 months has been one of the most challenging things I have ever done. It is truly a complicated language that is very different from English and Spanish, but the teachers have been very supportive.
Since my classmates are also international students, we help each other out. So far, the experience has been nothing short of amazing as I have been able to meet people from all over the world while learning a new language and culture.
12. Can you tell us about an important community initiative you are involved with? How has your personal energy and skills impacted people and community development?
One of the organizations I keep close to my heart is the Corozal Organization of East Indian Culture and Heritage. I grew up being very much involved in COEICH because my dad was a member (since I was 8 years of age). I joined the dance group at the age of 10 which taught me a lot about the culture and gave me a deeper understanding of my identity. As the years went by, I became more active, helping during the festivals to educate children about the East Indians in Belize. I also did some choreography for the group dance.
It was through this dedication that I was recognized and chosen to represent Belize at the Miss Divali Nagar Pageant in Trinidad and Tobago in 2016. Throughout the years, people have sought me out to help them with cultural presentations such as dances, sari wrapping and even masala making which I found great pleasure in. I believe that with the exposure while volunteering with COEICH, people view me as a reliable and responsible individual who is conscious of the East Indian cultural prestige.
13. What is your perspective on discrimination in Belize?
Discrimination is a very broad topic because it can be applied to race, sex, religion, politics, etc. I strongly believe no one has to right to treat another human being with disrespect and/or prejudice. At the end of the day, we are all humans. I understand that we are also emotional beings and may react in a negative way to a certain situation.
We must practice mindfulness, respect for self, and respect for others to become a more tolerant society.
14. You were an Honoree in our Graduation Recognition — Class of 2019. How did you felt after you were selected? What are your thoughts on the program?
I felt very honored! Most importantly, I finally felt RECOGNIZED because throughout the years I have been able to keep my grades at a high standard while doing so many extra-curricular activities. To me, this was simply a norm so I never felt like anyone noticed how hectic it could become at times with school work and extracurricular.
I believe that this program helps students realize that people do notice their hard work and dedication which pushes them to stay motivated.
15. Do you believe the education system in Belize needs to restructured? Is there a need for the proper fusion of a “Cultures & History of Belize” section in the curriculum?
Although there have been great efforts in restructuring the curriculum at the high school and junior college level in the past year, I do believe that there should be more emphasis placed on “Cultures and History of Belize”. We should all make an effort to know more about our country and how we came to be.
I believe that learning these topics bring a great sense of national pride and open our minds to understand why our community has certain problems and how we can go about fixing them.
16. If you were given the opportunity to meet the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow and the Leader of the Opposition, Hon. John Briceno, what important issues would you discuss?
1.) What measures will be put in place to aid people who have recently lost their jobs due to COVID 19? — Social
2.) How do they plan to recover our economy from the drastic hit it has received over the past 3 months? — Economic
17. Life can be challenging. How do you get rid of stress and what’s your advice to others on this?
I think many times young people have so much pressure on them to have their life figured out at such a young age that they forget to enjoy the best years of their life.
Over the years, when I felt this pressure, I would use dancing as my escape. It was a moment when I felt only the music and it helped to relieve tensions. I believe everyone should find a healthy outlet which allows them to feel free from the chains society tries to put us in. Another important thing to remind ourselves during difficult times is that certain things happen for a reason and most of the times, it’s for the better.
18. Which Belizean Hero do you embrace? Why?
I would like to say I embrace all Belizean Heroes as they all shared common factors such as ambition and determination in making Belize a better home for its people. However, I admire Cleopatra White the most. Not only was she charismatic but also respectable and people of all ages and ethnic groups embraced her as part of their community. I hope to one day be able to find the job that makes me feel as passionate and driven as nursing was to her but even in this stage of my development I embrace her work ethics by giving 110%.
19. In one of my recent articles I stated: ‘It is important to realize that majority of Belize’s younger populations continue to be very mediocre as it relates to becoming holistically educated and cultured, personally and professionally.’ In the latter part of the article I also stated: ‘The primary culture of reluctance refers to a themed, laid-back mentality, wherein our population, or at least, majority of the population, have a meddlesome, unaware, and mediocre approach to self development and self fulfillment.’ What’s your perspective on these two statements?
I agree with the first statement . I have witnessed people doing the bare minimum when it comes to incorporating these aspects into their lives since they don’t feel that these things are relevant or has any effect on acquiring status and wealth. I do believe that we are very laid-back as a nation and are easily content with whatever is handed to us. I think we should start being more curious, asking more questions not only about our country, religion, environment, and politics but within ourselves to see how we can make improvements and develop as a nation and an individual.
Date of Birth: October 30th 2000
Place of Birth: Chetumal Quintana Roo Mexico
Parents: Froylan Gilharry and Linda America Gilharry
Brothers & Sisters: Froylan Gilharry, Austria Gilharry and Michelan Gilharry
School: National Taiwan Normal University
Hobbies: Dancing, Reading, Hiking
With the Powers Vested Into Us:
I, Kenrick Mark Coleman, Founder & Chairman of The Kenrick Mark Coleman Foundation proclaim Asia Natalia Gilharry as the May 2020 Personality of the Month Award Recipient. Asia is entitled to an Official Interview, an Authentication Award and all privileges that complement the Personality of the Month Award Program. Asia now joins thirty-six other hardworking, talented, intelligent and deserving Belizeans in our Official Order of Distinction.
Photo Credits: Asia Gilharry
Acknowledgement: Asia Gilharry, Yvette Sanker Riverol, Froylan Gilharry Jr.
Personality of the Month Award Recipients:
Laurita Williams (June, 2008) Toledo
Abel Coleman (July, 2008) Toledo
Gareth Jacobs (November, 2008) Toledo
Floridalma Fajardo (February, 2009) Toledo
Felicita Arzu (July, 2009) Orange Walk
Samson Jacobs (January, 2010) Belize City
Clive Myers (May, 2010) Belize City
Ashanti Garcia (July, 2010) San Ignacio
Leilah Pandy (August, 2010) Belize City
Myra Fajardo (October, 2010) Toledo
Dorien Villafranco (September, 2011) Belmopan
Annlyn Apolonio (August, 2012) Belize City
Micah Goodin (January, 2013) Belize City
Andre Alamina (November, 2013) Belize City
Juana Meza (March, 2014) Stann Creek
Justyn Craig (June, 2015) Belize City
Harsheel Makhijani (September, 2015)Orange Walk
Zeida Montero (October, 2015) Stann Creek
Jasmine Myvette (December, 2015) Sand Hill
Francis Sutherland (February, 2016) Corozal
Cindy Espinal (March, 2016) Stann Creek
Robin Gray (April, 2016) Stann Creek
Juan Bol (May, 2016) Toledo
Andrew Vasquez (June, 2016) Belize City
Kevin Trejo (November, 2016) Orange Walk
Dovini Chell (December, 2016) Orange Walk
Nissa Waldman (January, 2017) Corozal
Bryton Codd (March, 2018) Belize City
Daniel Hung (June, 2018) Belmopan
Dino Emilio Gutierrez (August, 2018) Cayo
Tsung Wei Wu (September, 2018) Corozal
Diany Leal (October, 2018) Cayo
Robin Quilter (November, 2018) Ladyville
Tianna Coleman (March, 2019) Stann Creek
Azizi Hoy (October, 2019) Belize City
Israel Alpuche (November, 2019) Corozal
Asia Gilharry (May, 2020) Corozal
