DESPITE being sexually and emotionally abused on multiple occasions, four suicide attempts, and a miscarriage shortly after losing everything in a house fire, 29-year-old Rose Marie Mitchell has always held on to hope that life would get better.

Now pursuing her dream job as a room attendant at the Grand Decameron Cornwall Beach all-inclusive resort in Montego Bay, St James, with plans to start her own cleaning company, the former at-risk youth strives to share her story so others in similar situations know that they do not have to become a product of their circumstances.

“Life is hard, but if I had ended my life back then, I wouldn’t know that I actually made it out alive to say, ‘Yes, I did this,’ and I am proud of myself.

“I wanted to give up so many times, but I never gave up. No matter how dark the situation became, I knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel and here I am today,” Mitchell told the Jamaica Observer.

She shared that the first eight years of her life, living with her father was great, but tragedy came shortly after her mother reportedly took her from her father and cut all ties.

While living with her mother, she shared that she was often left with other people who abused her in ways she wished she could forget.

Throughout her moments of sexual, emotional, and physical abuse that she said brought her much pain and diminished her self-love, Mitchell shared that she would often document her experiences with the thought that one day she would look back and smile, because she was finally on the other side.

“I loved to go by the river and just listen to the water, so that was my therapy, to go by the river or the seaside. I also used to love it when it rained, because that was my escape…when I was living with my dad, my cousin, and my aunt were there so we would normally go to the river and play, just having family time, so when I got separated from my dad, I didn’t have that family any more, so I would just go by the river to just feel like I was home just the same,” she told the Sunday Observer.

When she was 11 years old, Mitchell said she finally reconnected with her father, who searched tirelessly to locate his only child. However, the lingering pain of her traumatic experiences, mixed with bullying in high school, drove her to become suicidal and impacted her studies. She was unable to graduate.

Amid her pain, she said it was her relationship with God, the love from her father, and resilience that pushed her to release the hurt and step into a future filled with hope and endless possibilities.

After high school, she started working in a bar but longed to go into the hospitality industry.

Mitchell shared that while, for many, an occupation of cleaning is not desirable, the practice gave her a sense of peace and joy, and she knew that this was what she wanted to pursue.

Last year, while scrolling on social media, she stumbled upon a post by the Institute of Vocational Education and Skills Training (INVEST), a private institution in Montego Bay that caters to at-risk youth by providing them with structured skills training, mentorship, and certification programmes needed to secure sustainable employment in the hospitality sector.

“I love cleaning. I grew up cleaning and listening to music, and I always loved when the place is nice and fresh, no dust or anything,” she said, adding that she always knew a job in the cleaning industry would be a good fit for her.

She applied to INVEST and was accepted, taking first place in the Team Jamaica programme. She also passed her HEART/NSTA Trust examinations offered through the programme and started pursuing her dream job.

“Sometimes all you need is just one person to believe in you. I am very proud of where I am today, and I’m not going to let because somebody speak down on me and say all of these negative things that I am going to roll up in a ball and go one side. I’m going to pick myself up, I am going to brush myself off, and I am going to go for what I want regardless. I want a better life, so I am going in search of that,” she told the Sunday Observer.

She shared that she has also rekindled her relationship with her mother and they are in a better place. To other at-risk youth who are experiencing hardships, Mitchell urged them to never give up.

“The first thing I always say is thank God my first [suicide attempt] didn’t work, because I wouldn’t be here today. I feel strong to know that I have overcome all of that, in spite of everything, and I’m here today. I give God thanks that I am now strong emotionally,” she said.

“Don’t give up, keep on trying. Push and pray until something happens. The sky is the limit. Nobody can hurt you more than you can hurt yourself. What you want for yourself is what you put in front. Even when you are dying inside, always smile because God is listening and you don’t need a bunch of people in your corner, just one,” she said.

Rose Marie Mitchell creates towel art in the form of two swans for guests at Grand Decameron Cornwall Beach all-inclusive resort in Montego Bay, St James.

MITCHELL…sometimes all you need is just one person to believe in you