WHEN 18-year-old Tracey Khan, a Rose Hall Town girl fresh out of high school with no work experience, nervously walked into the Little Rock Television Studio for her first job interview, she had no idea that this would have been the beginning of her career.

Always having a desire to travel the world and experience all that it had to offer, Tracey knew it would be tough since being the eldest of seven siblings to a cane harvester and a market vendor would make her desire a tough one to be fulfilled. But she never gave up on her dreams and persevered.

She spent six years at Little Rock Television Station (LRTVS), initially starting off as a reporter then becoming the anchor, before moving to Georgetown when an opportunity presented itself at the state-owned National Communications Network (NCN). There, she expanded on her foundation as a local news reporter and quickly became a national news personality.

However, it was her move to Inews, an online news agency, where she spent one year that gave the small town-girl the exposure she needed to become a force to be reckoned with in the media fraternity. There, she worked with some of the most accomplished and seasoned journalists in the country. She was eager for knowledge, and her editors seeing the drive and passion she had for the field, pushed her to realise her potential by giving her the opportunity to participate in numerous workshops and conferences both locally and internationally.

Success favours hard work and Tracey finally got the recognition she deserved after putting in years of diligence. She is presently the online editor of Capitol News, living her dream of travelling to several countries covering international assignments, presenting the news on national television and radio, in addition to her own TV show.

She also does events planning and public relations (PR) for several overseas-based companies, including an oil company in Nigeria and lots of charitable work, especially with overseas-based NGOs that give back to her community of Rose Hall Town where she loved to play in the water of the flooded streets as a little girl.

And even though she works mainly in Georgetown, Tracy, who has added Drakes to her surname after having tied the nuptial knot, always gives her home-town address when asked where she lives, since that is where her heart is. She also makes use of every opportunity to lend a helping hand to those in need, never forgetting her humble beginning and the level of support she received throughout her lifetime.