Jeannette Solomon is a career educator and proud of it. Looking back on her 35-year career, the mother of one has found satisfaction in her students' appreciation.

"Seeing the students come back and say 'thank you, if you did not intervene I would have gone on to another path'," Solomon said, makes her job worthwhile. Currently one of the vice-principals at St James High School, she has worked her way up the ranks of the institution, from classroom teacher, senior teacher, to guidance counsellor and more.

Spending most of her career in the newly upgraded high school in what some may class as an inner-city community has allowed her to use all her skills, guidance counselling especially.

"Guidance counselling has given me the opportunity to know what's going on in the head of parents and students," she said adding, "we all need someone to listen to us." Being that listening ear has been a part of her job for as long as she can remember.

Apart from her commitment to students, she said the example set by educators before her has kept her in the profession. "As a teacher, you tend to want to give of your best because they gave to me." This, she said, goes for mentors who took her under their wings and moulded her as a young teacher and the admi-nistration itself which supported her when she wanted to improve her education.

Hungry for education, she was among the first batch of teachers to do a certificate in guidance counselling via a course put on by the overseas-based Western Carolina University. The small group convinced the organisers to come to St James to run the course.

She began her career with a diploma from Mico Teachers' College now The Mico University College and was able to gain both her bachelor's and a master's degrees.

Months away from retirement in September, she is glad to have been a part of the helping profession, as she puts it; one she seemed destined to enter.

What was the major obstacle in your path to achievement?

Educating myself.

How did you overcome it?

Sacrifice, we all prayed and sacrificed.