Cadeisha Campbell rises from inner-city barriers to career success
IN 2013 when 26-year-old Cadeisha Campbell signed up for a business administration course with Youth Upliftment Through Employment (YUTE), now a part of the MultiCare Youth Foundation (MYF), she wanted to improve her life.
After joining the National Youth Service as a youngster, the former Excelsior High School student held several jobs, mostly with companies in the Kingston Wharves area. But she wanted to achieve more.
She aspired to a career in the corporate world, recognising the necessity of acquiring further qualifications. But she soon realised that her struggles extended beyond mere qualifications. Despite applying to numerous corporate positions, she received no interviews, replies, or callbacks. It became clear that her real challenge was her address in the inner-city community of Greenwich Town, Kingston 13.
Refusing to give up, Campbell saw an MYF advertisement and decided to go to the foundation’s office to apply. Though disappointed to hear she was not qualified for the position, she happily enquired about the foundation’s work and programmes for young people facing similar challenges.
Having soon signed up for the business administration course, Campbell later wrote a letter for consideration for any relevant upcoming positions and handed it to MYF Chairman Joseph
M. Matalon at her group’s graduation ceremony. She was then called to an interview and later offered the position of administrative assistant to Alicia Glasgow-Gentles, executive director of YUTE.
“MultiCare has been a ‘bridge ’for me,” Campbell says, continuing, “Its programmes allow inner-city youths to realise their potential. The current internship and job placement component is critically important. The mentoring and the life and employability skills, among others, are also vital, because, when you leave school, sometimes you are not aware of how you should perform, and project yourself – how to behave professionally at the workplace.”
Now the senior administrative officer at the MYF, Campbell has been a valued member of the foundation’s team for the past decade. Having achieved her dream of working in the corporate world, she soon set about working towards her BSc in Accounts at The University of the West Indies. By the time she needed to take a temporary break because of a stressful family situation in 2018, she had completed four years of the five-year part-time evening course. Completing her final year is now a top priority.
Meanwhile, Campbell has put her all into her on-thejob performance and development. In addition to serving three years as administrative assistant, she was promoted to accounting clerk and, most recently, senior administrative officer.
MYF Administration Manager Ann Astwood commends Campbell for her dedication, noting, “Cadeisha is a dedicated and loyal employee with a tremendous capacity for hard work. She is a pleasure to work with and continues to show solid personal and professional growth and development. She is a very valuable member of the team.”
As for Campbell, she is happy to be a part of the MYF team.
“I have been happy to remain at the MYF because the team really, really believes in what they do, propelling our young people to another level. And I have seen where the [various] engagements work for the participants. For example, when they go through the employability training, you can see the changes. And so many participants have expressed how the programmes have made a difference in their lives.”