Stacy-Ann Nelson | The vibrant volunteer from Old Harbour with a passion for youth transformation

This philosophy has been the hallmark by which Stacy-Ann Nelson has lived and breathed her whole life. Young, vibrant and outgoing, this daughter of Old Harbour, St. Catherine has never thought of settling as no matter the occasion, she always presents the very best version of herself. A former youth ambassador and Miss St. Catherine Festival Queen 2018, Nelson continues to foster a thriving spirit of volunteerism while steadily putting in the requisite work to ultimately see her dreams take shape and manifest.

They say that if your dreams are not big enough to scare you, then you have not dreamed big enough. Indeed for this 28-year-old, her dreams are not only big but bold and bodacious enough to be of benefit not just to the dreamer but to who she encounters, particularly the youth of Old Harbour and its surrounding areas. “There is greatness in Old Harbour and I’m doing my part to ensure that the young people, especially little girls in the community recognise this and begin to love on themselves,” the New Harbour Village I resident said in an interview with Old Harbour News.

Added the beauty queen: “Through my contribution, they will have a blueprint of how to live up to their full potential and not apologise for wherever they come from.” 

Founder of the non-profit initiative Prepare for the Opportunity, a mentorship and dance programme for young girls ages eight to 16, Nelson also established Pointe Dance and Gym wear. Needless to say, she keeps very busy. One word that she would use to describe herself is determined and that she most definitely is. “I am very determined to set myself aside from how I grew up and struggled. I am determined to make a difference in the world and to make a change so determined would be the best word to describe myself,” said the budding entrepreneur and philanthropist.

It “was truly a proud moment” for Nelson when she took part in Old Harbour’s own version of Jamaica 60th Independence Celebration Float Parade organized by the business community and other civic groups. She tells Old Harbour News that she found the experience and exposure completely rewarding and fulfilling, as seeing the smiling faces of the children and how their eyes lit up upon seeing her made it totally worthwhile.

She believes participating in cultural activities such as the independence celebrations, as well as being an ambassador for her parish, provides her with an available platform for her mission of youth empowerment through volunteerism. This belief was the fuel that spurred her to enter the JCDC National Festival Queen competition four years ago.

“I had entered the festival queen competition because I wanted to showcase just who I am as a person and wanted to demonstrate to young girls in Old Harbour that you can achieve anything once you believed in yourself and are willing to put yourself out there,” she said.

For Stacy-Ann Tamaica Nelson, growing up was a series of challenges as her mother was a single parent who at times found it difficult to provide for her family. Though Stacy originally came from a small community in Linstead called Mountain Pass, she moved to Old Harbour fairly young and would shuttle back and forth between there and the community of Macka Tree in northwest St Catherine where her grandmother resided. “Growing up I never had a role model to look up to,” Nelson said. “At times the dinner provided was not exactly filling but you made do with what you had. Through it all, I decided to volunteer a lot as I saw volunteerism as a way for one person to change the life of another for the better.  I may not have been able to give money but I wanted to give of my time and my effort.”

From Old Harbour Bay Primary she went to Innswood High School which was not initially her first choice or preference but Stacy has always been the kind of rare flower to bloom wherever she was planted. And that was exactly what she did at Innswood, a secondary institution founded in 2001 and not known for producing academic standouts like its revered neighbours in the parish like St Catherine or St Jago high schools.

Pretty soon she joined as many clubs as possible and excelled in practically all of them, making an immense impact on not just the school community but others that she came in contact with. “The thing about Innswood is that it has so many vibrant extracurricular activities that pretty soon I forgot that it was not my top choice and just immersed myself into the many activities that were offered. I was also determined to make my mother proud and to ensure that she did not regret sending me there. I went from being a prefect in Grade 10 to deputy head girl in Grade 11 and proved that despite the reputation of that or any other school, at the end of the day it is not the school but the children who attended it that will make a difference because whatever you put into it is what you will reap,” she stated with an air of confidence in her tone.

Indeed having sown seeds of success during her scholastic years, Nelson decided to spread her wings and turned her attention to the colourful and glamorous world of fashion and modeling. “I entered Saint International Fashion Faces of the Caribbean and did very well,” she revealed. “After that I did some runway and fashion modeling. I also modeled on two of the most popular entertainment television shows in Jamaica, namely Wray & Nephew Contenders and Magnum Kings & Queens of the Dancehall.” She has also done quite a bit of commercial modeling for some of the top designers and photographers locally and internationally including Uzuri International, Courtney Washington, Kurt Campbell, Shades of Africa, Cesar Galindo, Irina Shabayeva, and Koroto Momolu.

All of that was exciting but her real passion was in dance and though she initially had no clue how she would finance her way through college, she applied and was accepted to the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts to study choreography and dance technique and worked her way through school until she was fortunate enough to receive a scholarship to complete her studies. Come this November, this ambitious and determined young lady will be walking with the graduating class of 2022 to receive her degree which she says will be another instrument of change to transform lives.   

When not strutting her stuff on the catwalk, she enjoys hanging out with her niece, dancing, meeting new and interesting people and of course, giving a helping hand or a listening ear to anyone who needs it. “One of the things most people would never guess about me is that I’m actually very shy,” she admitted. “Honestly, if I had to choose between going out to party and staying home I’m definitely staying home. I don’t talk a lot unless I‘m required to. People say I don’t give off shy vibes or seem to have a shy persona but I am.  It is just that I don’t let my shyness come between me and my work or me doing good deeds or great things.”

Her inspiration to continue to do great things is her mother. “The story of my mother inspires me to do the best I can at all times. Her story was not the best. She was given away as her own mother had a lot of them. She had me at an early age and life was just hard for her but she was determined to persevere. She would often tell me that I saved her life and that honestly propels me forward as I have to make her proud so that is added fuel to my need to succeed,” Nelson tells Old Harbour News. 

Through volunteer initiatives and pageantry she has been able to meet a lot of influential people. Meeting new people and learning from their experiences has better equipped her in her role as a mentor to the children she encounters through her many voluntary opportunities not only in Old Harbour but across the island.

She said: “My ultimate goal is not just to have a dance studio in Old Harbour but for it to be a beacon and centre where the youth can feel free to express themselves and become not just successful but great citizens of this nation.”