MONTEGO BAY, St James — Grounded by the hardship he faced as a child, 28-year-old Damoy Douglas’s main intention is to succeed at everything that he does. With a fruitful seven-year career in the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), the young detective corporal’s newest accomplishment comes in the form of a law degree.

Douglas, who is assigned to the St James Police Division, told the Jamaica Observer West that he is beaming with pride after completing his bachelor of laws (LLB) at the University of Technology, Jamaica (Utech) – Western Campus. Not only was the young man able to accomplish this while maintaining a strong presence at work, but through his hard work and dedication, he also received first-class honours.

“Despite the burden and workload, I still managed to do well in school and for that I am very proud of myself. Even while in school I was still doing well at work. I was promoted to the rank of detective corporal in January 2020 after five years of service in the JCF,” Douglas said.

But the young man said life hasn’t always been easy. Hailing from the rural community of Albion Mountain in St Mary, Douglas’s first introduction to poverty was through his family’s financial hardship.

“I grew up in a family of eight [children], you know the regular story, in a one-bedroom house. My mother was a domestic helper, so things were very difficult,” he explained.

The young detective corporal continued, “Throughout my youth, we didn’t have electricity nor running water, so the candle was our light, and the river was what we used.”

With an absent father and a mother whose source of income came from carrying out domestic duties, a young Douglas was hell-bent on achieving great things and making his family proud.

However, his mother would not be alive to see him get past the worst. This, the young detective corporal told the Observer West, gravely affected him.

“She died while I was still in primary school; she was murdered. My performance in school fell to an all-time low because it took me time to recover,” he shared.

“It was very difficult because I and my mom were very close. Whenever she would be out washing for people, I was always there assisting. So I also lost a very close friend,” Douglas lamented.

Through the assistance of generous community members and family friends, the young man excelled in high school. He graduated from the St Mary High School with eight Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) subjects and 10 Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) units.

“My sister was the one caring for me until I was in grade nine, when I left that home to go stay with a guardian. His name is Donald Reid, a very good man. He was a close family friend, so I stayed with him for the rest of my high school journey. I owe a lot of what I am today because of his assistance,” he told the Observer West.

After high school, a young Douglas’s first thought was to pursue his tertiary studies, but his financial situation stood in the way of that dream.

“I left high school and I wanted to go to university, but…I did not have the funds and I could not get two [individuals] to be my guarantors for student loans,” Douglas explained.

So the young man said he did the next best thing.

“I opted to work to save the funds so I could go. I applied for the National Youth Service (NYS) summer programme and was placed at the St Mary Parish Court for three weeks. I did fairly well, so the administrator encouraged me to apply for a permanent position,” Douglas shared.

“I applied and was given a temporary position on two separate occasions, so I was there for two years in two different capacities. It was while there that I applied for the JCF and was placed in Montego Bay [after completing training school] in August 2015. I started my degree at the Utech western campus two years later,” the young man added.

Even with a demanding profession, Douglas’s hunger for success and service saw him not only performing exceptionally well in school but holding multiple positions in various clubs and societies.

“I was awarded the Utech 60th anniversary scholarship for academic performance. That scholarship is given to the top four students from the faculty of law across all campuses. I had the second-highest grade point average (GPA) in the entire school for that academic period,” shared a proud Douglas.

“I participated in various extracurricular activities too; I was the faculty of law representative and the president of the Rotaract club for Utech West. I was also a peer counsellor,” he added.

With his LLB now in hand, the young detective corporal’s goal is to further his education.

“Hopefully I will be able to attend law school next year. Law school requires a lot financially and that is the reason I am not already there. I am just trying to get some funds so I can finance it,” Douglas told the Observer West.

“I am also an applicant for the very prestigious Chevening scholarship, so I am awaiting a favourable response. I applied to do a Master [of Science] in Intelligence, Security and Disaster Management,” the young policeman added.

But, when the dust settles, Douglas shares the wish of everyone who has lost a parent.

“I just wish my mom was around to see what I am doing,” he stated.