THE HEART BEHIND MEMORABLE ESSAY
GROWING UP, Shawna-Kaye Lester had many dreams, but was not sure what she wanted to become. She, however, worked tirelessly to chase her three passions – education, health care, and communication.
Today, at 30 years old, the former head girl of Immaculate Conception High School has two master’s degrees, and recently launched her company – Memorable Essay – a university-admissions consulting business.
The road to get here was not direct. At age seven, Lester wrote a novel in her notebook in hopes of becoming a writer. When she was 10 years old, she wanted to become a lawyer. By the time she had got to high school, she had found interest in basketball. This was just the beginning of her talents and loves, as between fourth and fifth form she participated in Schools’ Challenge Quiz, won many national essay competitions and wrote for The Gleaner’s Youthlink magazine with the desire to become an international journalist. She also played double bass in her school’s orchestra.
After her studies in natural sciences and languages (Spanish and crash French) in high school, Lester applied and got into the University of the West Indies’ Medical Sciences programme as well as Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. She admits that her decision to attend Bates was a simple one.
“I wanted to go to a place where I could continue to learn languages and science and continue playing in an orchestra, all at once,” Lester told Flair.
In 2004, Lester journeyed to Maine to major in biochemistry and Spanish. While completing a premedical track in college, she became interested in biotechnology and genetic medicine, and thought of becoming a biomedical researcher. She completed her biochemistry senior thesis on the ‘Use of interference RNA in asthma care’, which was inspired by her mother’s severe asthmatic condition.
INSPIRED BY HER MOTHER
Lester watched her mother – Louise Anderson – working day and night shifts, as well as weekends and public holidays. This motivated Lester to work very hard and excel in school.
By the end of her stint at Bates, the relentless scholar applied and won a Jack Kent Cooke graduate scholarship. For Lester, this was a blessing. During her time at Bates, she struggled to find money for clothes and was unable to access her grades because she could not pay her student contribution. This would have hindered many, but with the help of the dean of international students, she was able to see her accomplishments and continue to excel.
After college, Lester took a year off