Michelle Thomas Passionate about nation building

IT is said that if you really want to change the world you have to inspire young people, and that’s what 24-year-old Michelle Thomas is determined to do.

Thomas, a dynamic and down-to-earth attorney-at-law who grew up in Cooreville Gardens, St Andrew, told

All Woman that she is passionate about youth empowerment and nation building and is committed to inspiring young people to develop a sense of nationalism.

“Jamaica has positioned itself to be one of the countries most poised for development in so many areas, but the problem is that we find ourselves caught up in colours – whether I’m a green man or orange man – and not into policies and programmes that can move the country. So what I do is find myself in a position where I look on the bigger picture, what it is that we need as a society, and I think community development and youth empowerment are the way for a better society. So I centre myself on finding a way to make a difference and not being average,” she said.

As such, having benefited from the motivational services of others during her tenure at St Andrew High School for Girls, the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill and Norman Manley Law School, Thomas saw it fit to be part of and develop a myriad of community-based projects so others could have the same benefits she did.

“For me, to be a lawyer and not give back to society would be the highest level of hypocrisy, because I am who I am today because of my involvement and passion to serve my country and stand out. Growing up, I was part of a very humble family. My parents could afford to pay for me to do a degree in accounts or marketing, but not law, so I literally accepted the application on faith in God. Each step of the way I got scholarships and for the entire five years it was paid for. I got scholarships because of my co-curricular involvement. So being involved was paying my way through school,” she explained.

Thomas, who is also the Kingston and St Andrew Festival Queen and third-place finisher in the bigger competition, launched #toursbjcm (Blue and John Crow Mountains), which she said has been a remarkable project that has taken over 60 students across the Corporate Area to the Blue and John Crow Mountains to learn about their culture.

“Marcus Garvey says without knowledge of our past, roots, history, and culture we’re like a tree without roots, and so I said (to myself), how can I change the perspective of the youth? It starts with a small touch and that small touch means empowering our youths, making them more culturally aware through my project as a festival queen, and also being actively involved in my community, not just by actions but by my advocacy – by sharing and caring genuinely and not because I’m running for a political seat or I want some accolade,” she pointed out.

She’s also a governor general I Believe ambassador, a member of Jamaica Youth Empowerment through Arts Culture and Nationalism, special projects chairperson at Educatours Jamaica, a member of the Kingston Open Bible’s youth ministry, debate mate mentor for Denham Town High, the public relations officer for Be Inspired International, national director for The Reign Legacy – responsible for the Miss Legacy competition held in Jamaica this year, a member of the St Andrew Hockey Club, a part of the financial committee of the Jamaica Hockey Federation, and an invited youth delegate to Ghana. She also has a good background in mooting and debating and was selected twice while at Norman Manley to represent the school in international mooting competitions.

Thomas also enjoys motivational speaking and has visited over 13 schools where she has shared her journey with students and encouraged them to give back. One practical example Thomas shares is her selfless attitude to people in need.

“I ran into a member of my community once who’s known to be a drug addict and she got a stroke. I noticed that her face was twisted to one side and I started to cry. It hurt me that she was there with a stroke and nobody would give her the money for the fear that she would use it to buy drugs. So I took her, went to the pharmacist, and purchased her medication,” she said.

“What hurt was that people had the fear that she was going to buy drugs, but you don’t have to give her the money, she is beckoning for help and because she is a known addict, no one would help and I said, look what humanity has gone to. We tend to turn a blind eye on simple things like these and it’s painful to me. So I took it upon myself to buy her pills and check up on her just so I could know she was being treated. If every individual would look out for each other we wouldn’t have so many problems in Jamaica.”

Thomas said she’s also interested in politics and one day becoming the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), a professional position she’s working assiduously to achieve some day.

“It’s very ambitious, but I want to be the DPP. I know it’s a lot of steps, but I’m waiting on the first one which is to be a clerk of courts. People say I have the same teeth as Paula (Llewellyn) and often say when they look at me they think of her. I really admire her and she is my role model and I’m looking to sit in the seat one day,” she said.

She’s also big on mentorship and credits much of her success to having good mentors.

“My current mentor is Anthony Williams, an attorney, and as a young person everyone should have a mentor, someone to guide you, someone to bounce ideas off. You can’t be successful if you don’t seek help,” she said.

“There’s nothing wrong with Jamaica that cannot be fixed with what’s right about Jamaica. What’s right is we as a people trying to build our country and the place to start is with young people. We have to use young people to inspire. Youth is the best investment – they are the future and as clichéd as it is, it is true,” she said.