![\"Shanan](\"https:\/\/stluciatimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Shanan-Emmanuel-300x213.jpg\")
<\/p>\nSaint Lucia-born Shanan Emmanuel grew up in the Jacmel community amid several challenges but endured, eventually becoming a scientist working with a Massachusetts company.<\/p>\n
As a result, she is encouraging young people to focus on positive goals.<\/p>\n
Emmanuel, who left Saint Lucia when she was about seventeen, told reporters of the challenges she faced growing up in Jacmel.<\/p>\n
\u201cGrowing up in Bois Den, Jacmel and being from a very small family our struggles ranged from somewhat financial to just the environment itself,\u201d she recalled.<\/p>\n
Emmanuel attended the SDA Primary School and the Leon Hess Comprehensive Secondary School, and Sir Arthur Lewis Community College.<\/p>\n
Emmanuel\u2019s academic achievements include a Bachelor\u2019s Degree in Biology from the University of the Virgin Islands and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Florida.<\/p>\n
\u201cSchooling was very important from the get-go to ensure that my life and my future were not plagued by what I saw around me and so for me essentially it was very important to stay in school, to be focussed,\u201d she stated.<\/p>\n
According to Emmanuel, she recognised that schooling was what would propel her career-wise.<\/p>\n
\u201cCurrently I focus on gene therapeutics, that is essentially a way to treat uncurable diseases through gene therapy,\u201d Emmanuel explained.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now back in Saint Lucia for a brief visit, she and her mother plan to give back through a back-to-school giveaway and scholarship programme.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was an idea we came up with in 2019, but unfortunately, because of COVID we were not able to visit but we had already purchased all the items \u2013 essentially back packs, school items like pens, pencils, sharpeners, everything. Essentially that will be given to students who are in need. So the hope is to launch that officially by next year during the summer at the Marigot Secondary School,\u201d Emmanuel told reporters.<\/p>\n
The thirty-year-old explained that the hope is to provide resources for youngsters in need.<\/p>\n
And amid the gun violence surge plaguing Saint Lucia and has affected Jacmel, where she is from, Emmanuel appealed to young people in learning institutions not to give up.<\/p>\n
\u201cHold on to your dreams. No matter how hard life may seem focus, keep focused. Make sure you surround yourself with positive people. I am from a Christian background and so I make sure that I pray. Make sure that you don\u2019t put yourself in situations that might be damaging to your identity,\u201d Emmanuel stated.<\/p>\n
She declared that life is hard for everyone, but sometimes people need the drive and focus that will propel them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Saint Lucia-born Shanan Emmanuel grew up in the Jacmel community amid several challenges but endured, eventually becoming a scientist working with a Massachusetts company. As a result, she is encouraging young people to focus on positive goals. Emmanuel, who left Saint Lucia when she was about seventeen, told reporters of the challenges she faced growing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":155078,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"Saint Lucia-Born Scientist Who Overcame Challenges Encourages Young People To Be Positive","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[12,9],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n