Passionate educator Cherise Gumbs has been named Anguilla’s first ever secondary and tertiary education officer in the Department of Education.
The role was established to strengthen the oversight and development of the two sector sectors – from quality of teaching and learning to the improvement of facilities and services.
In a department press release on 20 August, Gumbs said she felt simultaneously humbled and proud to be selected to lead the new initiative.
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The new education officer explained that her commitment to education was inspired by teachers during her formative years in Anguilla’s primary and secondary education system.
Gumbs began her career in education in 2005 at her alma mater, serving as an un-certificated teacher at the then Stoney Ground Primary School (now Orealia Kelly Primary School) in The Quarter.
By 2010, she was appointed as a graduate teacher at the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School, within the Home and Food Technology Department. She also served as a form teacher until 2018.
In the 2018/2019 academic year, Gumbs was appointed head of year five before being promoted to senior teacher at Campus B.
This followed three years later by her appointment as deputy principal of pastoral – from which she has now moved to take up her new role.
Gumbs’ academic accomplishments include a Bachelor of Education with first class honours in Technical and Vocational Studies from the University of Technology, Jamaica.
This was followed by a Master of Science in Psychology from the University of Liverpool, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Management and Educational Leadership with the University of the West Indies.
On both a professional and personal level, her approach is to exemplify what she considers to be the core qualities of the Anguillian spirit: strength, endurance, beauty and resilience, the press release said.
“Throughout her career to date, she has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to collaboration,” it added.
“As education officer, secondary/tertiary, she intends to continue to integrate teamwork, team building, and empowerment in her approach.”
