West Albion daughter making waves

Chevening Scholar of batch 2018-2019 Kristeena Monteith failed miserably at pinpointing a specific occupation that she hopes to undertake, despite having already acing her journalism degree.

But one thing's for certain, the young scholar sees clearly the vision she has for her life.

Monteith told The Gleaner that she wants to do creative work that has positive social impact.

"I could be writing books and screenplays, producing movies, teaching, starting my own company, making media, working in journalism, serving on high level committees in the United Nations - doesn't much matter to me as long as it's profitable, there's an artistic/creative element and it's positive. My life is a social enterprise," she explained.

Rewind to 2011, Monteith was a lower sixth-form student at the Wolmer's Girls' School, who had no idea what route she wanted to her life to take.

However, her decision to make good a six-week internship opportunity at the Child Development Agency (now the Child Protection and Family Services Agency) set her on the path to becoming the social enterprise she embodies.

"The stories I read while sorting and filing the reports that came to that office sparked a passion for youth development in me. After high school, I spent three months on the Talk Up Yout School Tour, documenting the amazing and harrowing experiences of young people all around the island, and that bolstered my interest in youth work.

"From there, Emprezz (media personality) really supported me in my first real media experience as producer for her Talk Up Radio project in 2014 and my love for creative work really blossomed and from then till now," she said, adding that she has been seeking opportunities to use media as a tool for youth development, and also to better understand how the media and the creative industries can be more effectively used a development tool in general.

... selected as UN Young Leader for the Sustainable Development Goals

Of her stripes thus far, Monteith, a daughter of West Albion, St Thomas, said she has worked as a story editor, writing 25 of 26 Ackee Walk Children's Puppet Show episodes, interpreting the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and translating them into child-friendly language.

She added that she has also been a Talk Up Yout's production coordinator for the last three years.

"In 2018, I had the privilege of serving as producer for the first half of the season and the filming process, working with the brave young men who will be sharing their stories. I've also been leading Talk Up Radio since it's relaunch on Nationwide News Network in 2016.

Emprezz has really supported the entire team and me in shaping that platform - designing our own segments and our own projects and collaborating as we see fit. This is largely unprecedented in mainstream media. With this freedom, we've partnered with organisations like Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network, we've taken questions from social media and posed them to ministers of health, security and education. We've made connections with young people in more than 10 countries worldwide. We're currently executing a community outreach project in six communities, funded by the Digicel Foundation with the support of the NCB Foundation," she said, noting that all these activities played a part in her being awarded a Chevening scholarship.

Her remarkable involvement in the projects also landed her a coveted spot among 16 others, of some over 8,000 applicants from 184 countries, selected as a UN Young Leader for the Sustainable Development Goals last month.

According to Monteith: "I've been fortunate to have amazing people around me who helped me connect the dots and build a path that now enables me to do the kind of work I want to do and to have the kind of impact I want to have."

rural@gleanerjm.com