MONTERREY, Mexico — Reggae Girl Kayla McCoy is just making her mark and might not be a household name in Jamaica. But her family lineage is second to none.

Just mention the name Pearnel Charles and the recognition is instant. He is one of Jamaica’s foremost political leaders, Member of Parliament for decades, and was Speaker of the House of Representatives before his retirement.

Well, for McCoy, it’s not much of a big deal.

“I mean, he is just my grandfather, and he always has been. I know his reputation and what he has done for Jamaica, and I know the status he has in the country and I respect him for that,” McCoy told the Jamaica Observer.

She continued: “He has written books and I have read his books, so I know the history and I know what he has done and I know what a big deal he is. But, at the same time, he is just my grandfather.”

The 25-year-old McCoy, who was born in Illinois, United States of America, and now lives in Scotland, revealed that she and her grandfather has a very good relationship.

“I have grown up with him ever since I was a baby and he has always been very supportive and loving, and I always enjoy speaking to him. He is no different than any other grandfather,” she pointed out.

“I grew up in the US but have strong ties with Jamaica and spent a lot of time there growing up. So I’m obviously close to that side of the family and always enjoy seeing them when I go back to Jamaica,” she explained.

McCoy, who studies public health, said she has not ruled out life in politics as her uncle and aunts are also involved.

Pearnel Charles Jr is currently the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, he was the former Minister of Housing, Urban Renewal, Environment and Climate Change.

His sister, Michelle Charles, is the Member of Parliament for St Thomas Eastern since 2020 and her other aunty, Patrice Charles-Freeman, served as the executive director of the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission and was the Jamaica Labour Party candidate for the St Thomas Eastern seat in the 2011 election.

“I am actually studying public health and I can go into politics. The Charles side of the family has a lot of doctors and health-care workers as well, so I am more geared towards the health-care side of things,” said McCoy.

“However, I do recognise the importance of politics, especially in the current world we are living in, and I know the importance of that.

“So I have been very interested in learning about it from my uncle Pearnel and Aunty Michelle and kind of hearing about their perspective and what they are doing,” McCoy noted.

The talented forward who plays for Rangers FC in Scotland received the President’s Award for academic excellence in 2015 in high school and was named to the dean’s list at Duke University the following year.

“My Uncle Pearnel was in Glasgow where I live for the Climate Change conference back in 2021, so I got to meet up with him there to hear about what he is doing,” she revealed.

“It’s cool to see family members doing big things and working towards change and kind of being passionate about what Jamaica can do on the world stage because Jamaica is a powerful little country and has a lot of pull on the world stage,” she added.

“It’s really cool to see what they have been able to do and have a lot of influence on both the Caribbean and the rest of the world,” said McCoy.

McCoy is expected to play her part as the Reggae Girlz tackle Canada in the semi-final of the Concacaf Women’s Championship with the chance of taking a step closer to securing a berth at the Olympic Games at stake.

“The game will be a very good test for us. I think we are a lot different team than the last time we played Canada,” she pointed out.

“So we are really excited to show how we have grown as a team. To show how we have developed as a team and to show what we can do on the world stage,” said McCoy, who has scored for Jamaica in six senior games.