Odane Brooks is a bright and outstanding light

OF ALL the 50 nominees for the 2023 Prime Minister National Youth Awards for Excellence, held recently on the lawns of Jamaica House, Odane Brooks was the one selected to make the response on behalf of the nominees, at the end of the programme.

Brooks was as confident as he was eloquent, and so, it was easy to see why he was selected. “It is a profound honour to stand among you, representing the nominees and awardees who embody the spirit of excellence and determination in our country,” he told the gathering.” By that time, the 27-year-old native of St Elizabeth had already received his award for national leadership.

He has been a leader since his days at Mount Osborn Primary School, Maggotty High School, and The University of the West Indies (The UWI), Mona campus, where he earned a first-class Bachelor of Science degree in public policy and management, with a grade point average of 3.88 out of 4, and a Master of Science degree in international public and development management with distinction.

His sojourn at The UWI was emblematic of that regional university’s motto, ‘ Oriens Ex Occidente Lux’ – ‘Light Rising From The West’. The bright spark from western Jamaica outshone his peers, earning himself several prizes, and much praise.

He was the recipient of the Gladstone Mills Prize (highest graduating GPA in public policy and management (2020); the top graduating performer in the public policy and management degree programme for the 2018-2019 academic year; the recipient of the Nethersole Prize (best performance across degrees, exempting international relations, offered by the Department of Government (2020); the recipient of the Paulette L. Wilson Prize for the best performance in ‘Introduction to Public Policy and Management’ (2018); and the Ann Spackman Memorial Prize for the best performance in ‘Introduction to Political Institution and Analysis’ (2017).

Before his arrival at The UWI, Brooks was the top achiever in the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination Law Unit 1 exam in the Caribbean in 2017. He was also an International Caribbean Studies Institute Under-30 Change Maker Award recipient; a Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission grant recipient; and an ‘NCB Scholar’ for St Elizabeth. And this ‘prolific volunteer’ has been giving back by volunteering through many community-based and other projects.

The recently appointed CARICOM youth ambassador, under the ambassadorial programme of the Ministry of Education and Youth, is mandated to represent issues that are relevant to CARICOM and youth. This chairperson for the 2023 Youth Month Advisory Committee, provided leadership and support to the Ministry of Education for the successful implementation of Youth Month initiatives. He is also director of international relations for Youth Education Association, a registered charitable organisation that focuses on the educational and social development of youth across Jamaica.

In addition, Brooks is involved in the Craig Town mentorship programme, designed to provide targeted intervention for youth in the community of Craig Town, and at the Hope Valley Experimental School, both in St Andrew. With St Andrew Technical High School, he is a youth empowerment leader, providing ongoing mentorship to over 50 student leaders under a development programme spearheaded by the school’s principal. Regionally, he is the training and development coordinator for the Caribbean Regional Youth Council.

“Giving back is important because throughout my life, I’ve benefited from the kind support of others who assisted me throughout high school and university; and thus, I feel that while I’m not repaying those who helped me directly, I have a responsibility to pay it forward and to elevate and transform the life of others,” he explained. The national award is symbolic of the significant extent of his role in national leadership.

“This award symbolises that good deeds never go unrecognised. But more fundamentally, this award represents a call for continued action and exercise of my leadership to transform the spaces in which I operate. As a society we often amplify what is negative, and so this award, for me, represents something that shifts the narrative,” he said.

At present, Brooks, a former policy analyst, works as a monitoring and evaluation specialist at the Development Bank of Jamaica – BIGEE Programme. The aspiring academic is also an adjunct faculty lecturer at the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean.

“My ultimate career goal is to be a development consultant, policy adviser to the Government of Jamaica and an academic. To date, I have been positioning myself in terms of my education to eventually realise those aspirations. I’m soon set to pursue my PhD in public policy. In this regard, it is just a matter of time until I eventually tick the check boxes as being a consultant and adviser.

In his response at the awards ceremony, Brooks also said, “Jamaicans, as we celebrate the achievements of our youths, let us recommit as a nation to the ideals that unite and define us. Let us stand together, shoulder to shoulder, as agents of change and guardians of hope. And, let us never forget that, in the face of adversity, it is our resilience and unity of purpose that will ultimately light the path forward.”

Odane Brooks has already started to light the path, for he is a very bright and outstanding star shining from the west. It is for others to follow.