Lesleyann Samuel, a Jamaican-born engineer and neighborhood chief, is celebrating a lifetime of volunteer service along with her newest accolade: the Kingston School Previous Boys Affiliation USA (KCOBA) Group Award for Management and Philanthropy.
The award is one in all a number of handed out yearly by the New York Chapter of the Kingston School alumni group to people who’ve contributed considerably to their communities within the USA.
Samuel, an alumna of the Immaculate Conception Excessive College (ICHS) in Jamaica and a former president of the Union of Jamaican Alumni Associations (USA) Inc. (UJAA), was acknowledged for her contributions to the ICHS Alumnae Affiliation and her achievements as UJAA President throughout her eight-year tenure from 2014 to 2022.
Offered on the KCOBA USA Annual Reunion and Awards Gala at Antun’s in Queens Village, New York in Might, the award is the most recent in a protracted line of tributes which were bestowed on Samuel for her voluntary and philanthropic neighborhood efforts, which span almost 4 a long time.
A ardour for neighborhood service
Born in Kingston, Jamaica to R. Karl and Olga Samuel, Samuel’s ardour for neighborhood service was ignited at an early age by her aunt, the late Dothlyn Joyce (“Dotty”) Campbell, former head of dance at Jamaica’s Pageant Fee (now the Jamaica Cultural Improvement Fee – JCDC).
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In keeping with Samuel, “Along with her job, my aunt volunteered in various organizations and was all the time serving to others. I discovered then that life is extra than simply our day-to-day jobs. Life is about stepping as much as our calling. For me, meaning doing what I consider I’m presupposed to do within the service of others who may have no matter assist I might be able to supply.”
Lesleyann Samuel immigrated to the USA on the age of 13 and attended Samuel J. Tilden Excessive College in Brooklyn (now Meyer Levin Junior Excessive College), happening to earn a scholarship to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, an engineering college in upstate New York. She graduated from Rensselaer along with her Bachelor of Science Diploma in Engineering, which led to her turning into one in all a small however rising variety of black feminine engineers employed at main communication and tech corporations within the early Nineteen Eighties.
She landed a place with New Jersey Bell, which later grew to become Bell Atlantic and, finally, Verizon. After spending over a decade working with Verizon in Maryland, she returned to the Tri-State space along with her need to “give ahead” as robust as ever.
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“It began with my getting concerned with my alma mater Immaculate at first, as a result of I used to be part of the fifth era in my household to attend the college. My mother was all the time concerned within the alumnae affiliation, in Jamaica after which in New York, so my sisters and I adopted go well with. Then by 2012, I used to be working extensively with UJAA—on the board and actually having fun with touring to Jamaica and making my contribution. So in 2014, I made a decision to take the following main step and run for UJAA president, following within the footsteps of my sister Karlene who was president earlier than me.”
Karlene inspired Lesleyann to “step up” and supported her all through the whole journey.
In keeping with Samuel, “Most of us are lively in our alumni associations as a result of we attended phenomenal faculties with phenomenal academics. By giving ahead (I intentionally don’t ever use the phrase giving ‘again,’ as a result of that isn’t our route), we exhibit our patriotism—our love for Jamaica—by serving to to make sure that those that come after us have nearly as good or higher experiences than ours.”
Her time period as UJAA president was prolonged as a result of COVID pandemic, and by the point it was over in 2022, the UJAA membership had grown from 32 to over 60 alumni organizations—an achievement of which she is particularly proud.
Supporting robotics in Jamaican faculties
Along with her engineering background, she has additionally been a significant drive behind UJAA’s assist of robotics in Jamaican faculties and has chaperoned a number of Jamaican pupil delegations to worldwide robotics competitions lately. Her newest challenge along with her personal Immaculate Alumnae Affiliation contains extending the robotics program to Immaculate’s Preparatory College, the place they participated within the FIRST® LEGO League Jamaica program in late June.
Lesleyann Samuel finds that one of many nice ironies in her lifetime of service has been the way in which her neighborhood volunteer actions have influenced her professionally, somewhat than the opposite means round.
“Curiously, my management and communication expertise have been developed via my neighborhood efforts and helped me in my engineering profession—not the opposite means spherical. To each, I carry my dedication to a excessive normal of efficiency. I additionally perceive that working with volunteers could be very completely different than working with individuals who’re being paid to do a job. And I additionally keep optimistic, and proceed as if success is inevitable.”
A recipient of quite a few awards
Along with her newest award from KCOBA, Lesleyann Samuel has been the recipient of quite a few others together with The Bob Marley One Love Management Award from The Cease The Violence Alliance, The Caribbean Life Impression Award, The Founders Award from the ICHS Alumnae Affiliation, and america Home of Representatives Proclamation from Congresswoman Yvette Clarke.
As for the long run, Samuel will not be but able to decelerate.
“I want to get hold of my doctorate in Organizational Management,” she says. “So I’m at present on the lookout for the fitting packages for me. I’d additionally love to do extra work in Jamaica and am all the time easy methods to contribute in new methods. However usually, I’m staying open to the chances—prepared as I’ve all the time been to step via the doorways as they open.”
