by Lisa Hamilton
TWO Guyanese sisters, Shonelle and Shondace Thomas, who have recently been accepted as Forbes Under 30 Scholars, are thankful for their early life in Guyana and the experiences which shaped the course of their future towards a drive for success.
Both sisters who grew up in Buxton are pursuing a Computer Science Major at Howard University with Shonelle being a senior and Shondace Thomas, a junior.
As a Forbes Under 30 scholar, the sisters will be able to attend the Forbes Under 30 Summit from October 27-30 in Detroit, Michigan, where they will meet with some of the world’s most influential and successful people.
On the list of speakers are representatives, founders and Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of companies such as Postmates, Nikola Motor Company, California Baby, Tinder, Target, Bloomscape, Uber, Instagram, Microsoft, Google, Brain Corp and many others.
The scholars will also interact with well-known individuals such as world-famous athlete and CEO of Serena Ventures, Serena Williams; NBA All-Star and Co-founder and Partner at Thirty Five Ventures, Kevin Durant; Actress and Activist, Olivia Munn; Rapper and philanthropist, 21 savage and political influencers.
“This is basically a space where we can connect with these individuals and other like-minded students who are interested in either leadership or pursuing entrepreneurial ventures,” Shonelle told the newspaper.
Meanwhile, although she has been accepted to multiple conferences in the past, Shondace believes that the Forbes Under 30 Summit is by far the one most likely to boost her entrepreneurial skills.
“I think it would allow me to bridge the gap between being entrepreneurial and also utilizing the skills I’ve learnt within school at the conference,” she said.
Shondace is currently participating in a one-year exchange programme which sees her attending classes at Standford University.
She enjoys project management and software engineering; has undergone two internships with Google and, on the lighter side, enjoys swimming, dancing and deejaying.
Meanwhile, Shonelle started off in the field of Electrical Engineering but soon switched to Computer Science because she found that her interest in the software side of the computer was greater.
She noted that moving to the United States (US) to study after high school proved to be a culture shock but her life in Guyana prepared her for hard work and success.
HOME PREPARED ME
“I think Guyana really provided a great foundation for me to basically be successful anywhere I go,” she said.
“Especially preparing for things like CSEC and CAPE exams, as it relates to academics, the amount of preparation, grit and hard work you had to put in in order to be successful in those courses, provided a strong foundation so that anywhere you go to study, I believe, as a Guyanese, you can do well.”
Shonelle attended Queen’s College which she said boosted her abilities in public speaking and gave her confidence to be a future leader.
She said: “Subconsciously, I remember those things they said to us as students and I realised how, indirectly, it possibly had an effect on how I see myself and how I’m motivated to some extent…those little key words of advice that schools give to children, it can definitely affect the trajectory of the student’s life.”
Shonelle also thanked her parents for their influence for while they lived in Buxton— often stereotyped as an underprivileged area — she and her sister were never caused to feel as if dreams or goals should be limited.
Many challenges came along the way and Shonelle said that she grew to realise that confronting them head on and accepting failure from time to time was the best of all avenues.
In the next five years she’d like to be fully capable of honing her technical and coding skills as a Software Engineer or a Mobile Application Developer while in the next 10 years she hopes to also become an author, philanthropist, investor and public speaker.
A key point she noted was that while one’s academic excellence may not always determine one’s trajectory in life, one’s impact on the world and contribution to society will always be of value and are more beneficial in the long run.
Meanwhile, Shondace hopes to make a lasting impact on the world even as she aims to establish her own business through which she can give back to Guyana.
“I definitely want to ensure that I enjoy what I do and don’t let money hinder my values,” she said.
They both are very optimistic individuals and see the value in seeking out trusted individuals for advice when the going gets tough.
Seeking out unique advice to give to other Guyanese, Shonelle encouraged them to utilise LinkedIn for networking where they could find opportunities not readily available on other social media platforms.
Meanwhile, her sister added: “Failure is a necessary part of life. I think getting accustomed to failure at this young age would better prepare me for what the future holds…don’t attach your self-worth to the failure.”
At the same time, she urges youths not to compare themselves to others because each person’s journey is unique and always be open-minded about life’s unlimited possibilities.
