From the late Author/Historian Angelo Bissessarsingh.
Although they brought the habit of ganja-use from their homeland, the Indian Indentured Labourers who began arriving in Trinidad in 1845 were introduced to rum in the colony. As early as 1860 it was recorded that drunkenness was a problem since many Indians were jailed for abandoning work due to inebriation. When the Canadian Mission to the Indians was founded by Presbyterian minister, Rev. John Morton in 1868, he noted :
“I have never been in a place where rum stares one so constantly in the face as Trinidad. Two large distilleries are above smuggling but there is not a village of any size in this island, except the Mission (Princes Town) which has not got a distillery where smuggling is more or less carried on. San Fernando has 42 licensed places, Iere Village 4, the Mission 10 etc. ”
The smuggling that Morton talked of was the manufacture of illegal spirits, called Babash. The drinking among the Indians inadvertently contributed to the high rate of wife-murders which occurred throughout the 19th and well into the mid 20th centuries. With a drink of rum selling for as little as six cents, a labourer could be drunk all day for a couple dollars which could very well represent his week’s earnings. Drinking was seen as a means of dulling the harsh realities of labour on the sugar estates of Trinidad. In 1887, J.H Collens noted:
“In Trinidad, as in India, many of these people become renegades to their creed, solely for the sake of being able to drink and sell rum, and it must be borne in mind that, with the Coolie, who will not partake of proper nourishing food when he has to pay for it himself, to drink rum is to become a drunken, besotted beast…………I have stated that by the Koran the Mussulman is prohibited from indulging in strong drink. It is unlikely that many in Trinidad forsake the religion of their forefathers from no better motive than to gratify their craving for alcohol. Years ago, when a youngster, I remember seeing a pictorial sketch in Punch entitled ' Accommodating.' An officer is seated in his bungalow, enjoying the dolce far niente of military life in India. Addressing his native bodyservant who stands near :—' What caste are you, Bamsammee V Native : ' Same church like Sahib ; me eat beef and drink brandy, sar !' To him Christianity and grog-drinking were unfortunately synonymous terms. After all, coolies are much like other people : treat them properly
and they -will serve you well—always, however, with an eye to the main chance ; but is not human nature the same all the world over”
In the 1890s the dangerous precedent of rum for wages began. At Forres Park, the lifestyle of the labourer was typical…Squalid barracks, zero sanitation, no school for children , scanty rations, and heavy tasks. One great evil which was introduced by Mr. Farmer, the manager in the 1890s was the offering of white rum, firewater, as a supplement to wages and even as wages themselves. This of course enslaved the Indians since they became rapidly dependent on the alcohol and thus were always in debt to the estate since the cost of rations was also deducted from the pittance they received for their task work. Almost until the demise of the sugar industry in 2007, employees of Caroni 1975 Ltd. could acquire rum on credit from the distillery and have the cost deducted from their wage packets. In the 1950s, researcher Morton Klass recorded the lifeways of Indo Trinis in Felicity. In a typical sorrowfully poor shopping list for the fortnight, the average family stinted the basics,…one tin of sardines for five persons , a few pounds of flour and a bottle of oil; but never missed the half-bottle of puncheon rum. One of the banes of Indo Trinidadians, most people are angry when this is mentioned, but it is a sad reality with historic origins.
Disclaimer : Views expressed are that of the author . Not intended to offend anyone sector of population.

As a Hilarian, she was taught to be of service to her community while achieving and sustaining academic excellence. And, as a member of the enlisted corps in the US Air Force, Ayana Simone Hodges has been able to live those ideals.
With the Air Force’s core values of Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence in All We Do, Hodges has found a mirror to the ideals and principles she was introduced to as a child.
“I have been grateful to have had numerous opportunities to build partnerships within communities in the States and abroad, mainly through outreach efforts focusing on disadvantaged children and youth and events aimed at strengthening relations with our host nation,” she told WMN.
Now, after 21 years of service, Hodges has been promoted to senior master sergeant (SMSgt), a rank which by law, is only granted to two per cent of the Air Force.
But going into military service was not her intention when she left TT at age 16. Back then, she had planned to study business and entrepreneurship, and be with her father and older sister who worked and studied in Long Island, New York.
She graduated from Bishop Anstey High School in 1999 and did the SAT exams (for US college admission). She was looking forward to starting her tertiary-level education at Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Virginia, as well as to spending time with her father, Anthony Stewart-Gilkes, who had moved there two years before in order to advance his career opportunities, and sister who was studying there.
Things did not work out as she had planned because circumstances changed. Instead, she found herself drawn to the idea of travelling, adventure, health benefits, education, and camaraderie, while making a positive impact. Her cousin, retired Lieutenant Colonel Vanessa Matthews-Grant was a captain in the Air Force at the time and, after doing some research, she decided to join thinking she could ask Matthews-Grant for any advice if necessary.
“I’ve always been someone who loves adventure and trying different things. Anything to do with travel, meeting different people, seeing new cultures, that has always been my thing thanks to my mother, Kathleen Stewart-Gilkes, who, from a very young age, exposed my sister and myself to different countries and being very open-minded to people in general.”
So, in 2000 at age 17, Hodges, who is a US citizen, joined the Air Force.
She told WMN she thought herself fit and did not think the Air Force would be as physically demanding as the army or marines. In TT, first in St James, Belmont and then Chaguanas as her family moved, she played tennis, danced, and was generally very active.
At five years old she started playing the piano and fell in love with classical music. She began classical training and continued until age 16. At age seven, while attending Sacred Heart Girls RC, she started taking ballet and modern jazz classes with Heather Henderson Gordon and continued dancing with Carol La Chapelle. In addition to the piano, she studied the steelpan and voice at Pan Piper’s Music School in St Augustine under the tutelage of Louise MacIntosh.


“I’m not somebody to shy away from a challenge or meeting people or immersing myself into something different. So, I said to myself, ‘okay, I’ve done all these things. Even though this will be something new, I think I’ll be okay.’ But I wasn’t ready for it. It was pressure!”
She said basic training taught her how to follow instructions while paying attention to details. But most importantly, it taught her and her fellow recruits to work as a team.
“You as an individual are not going to be good at everything. You might be good at one thing but your teammate might be good at another. If you come together and identify everyone’s strengths and help each other out, then you spend less time getting your things organised. It’s about getting you to see yourself as an airman and not as a civilian and to operate as a unit.”
She described the time as different and challenging but rewarding, and that feeling has continued throughout her career. Some of those challenges stemmed from her being a woman, a West Indian, or a person of colour. They caused “major setbacks” in her career and had a negative impact on her, but she was able to stay positive and continue to grow individually and professionally thanks to her faith, family and a strong network of extended family.
“I was able to remain positive, maintain a firm belief in myself, and turn a negative situation into a positive outcome. While difficult at the time, I believe these unfortunate experiences helped prepare me to be a positive role model for others who might find themselves in similar situations.
“I am happy to say the Air Force as an organisation has identified its shortcomings and is making great strides to build a strong diversity and inclusion initiative across the enterprise; something I am very passionate about and proud to be a part of.”
Another unexpected but positive turn was meeting the father of her two children in the military. Her son, Jaylen Hodges, 13, is “a wizard” with animals and science, and daughter, Jayla Hodges, ten, is also highly intelligent and interested in the arts.
Hodges said at times military life can be difficult for her and her children, particularly when they are separated due to deployment or being stationed in another country. Over her career, she has had deployments and assignments to Kansas, Las Vegas, North Carolina, Arkansas, Pakistan, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, Afghanistan, Germany, and South Korea where she is currently stationed.


“Without a doubt, as a mother, it has been challenging to be away from my children for months at a time, or in some cases over a year. Technology has assisted in easing that burden, but navigating time differences in an effort to communicate on a consistent basis is an ongoing challenge.”
The children’s father is a contractor in Kuwait and cannot assist, so when she is deployed or has remote assignments where family is not permitted, her relatives step in. They either stay with her sister, Nneka Green, in Virginia or in Trinidad with her family. And when stationed in the US, or whenever family is allowed, they moved with her.
“Everything that I do, I do for my kids. At the end of the day I know I’m doing this, making sacrifices, for their best interest and it has and will continue to benefit them.” They have had many opportunities many children have not. They have travelled and been educated in other countries, attended the best schools, and experienced many different cultures.
“I am extremely blessed and extremely grateful to have the type of family support that I do. It’s not often that a military member’s mother retires to support you when you have your first child, leaves their home country and flies to a different country to spend up to six months at a time every time their child needs support. And my mother has done that for me throughout my entire career.”
Hodges’s records went to the Air Force board in January; she was selected for the position of SMSgt on March 16. She has no intention of transferring from the enlisted corps to being an officer because she has a passion for people and prefers to deal with them in a more “hands on” capacity.


“While I have to say I am filled with nothing but utter admiration and respect for our senior leaders and policy makers, my strength lies within my abilities to train, mentor, motivate and develop our airmen. As an enlisted leader I have the ability to directly contribute to the growth of the younger airmen regardless of their career field.”
She said the Air Force provides her with the space and resources to develop and uplift airmen and help them reach their full potential while cultivating essential resiliency skills.
“That brings me tremendous joy and satisfaction. The fact that I am able to work with people from varied backgrounds and cultures as well as different agencies and organisations has enlightened my experiences and broadened my perspective on team dynamics and team building.”
She is a wing inspections team member, master resilience trainer, and diversity and inclusion facilitator for the wing, helping to promote, educate and ensure a culture of respect and dignity throughout the organisation.
She is also a sustainment services flight superintendent who oversees the logistics and day-to-to operations of three dining facilities, two hotels, a post office and a state-of-the-art fitness facility. This has allowed her to pursue her interest in business, as the position allows her the freedom to be creative and expressive while providing products and services which satisfy consumer needs and enhance overall purchasing power.
“Additionally, nothing excites me more than analysing, solving problems and seeing a process successfully completed from start to finish. And multiple leadership and management courses have been afforded to me as a benefit of being a member of the US Air Force.”
Hodges would love to be a United Nations ambassador when she retires. She also intends to continue working in her community, developing young people, while being an active Hilarian alumni supporting Old Hilarian Association endeavours and projects.
“It is important for us all to recognise no matter where folks may come from, or what they might look like, their value is immeasurable, and we were all created for a higher purpose. So never judge a book by its cover, but rather strive to see how someone’s gifts and talents can be utilised for the greater good. This will require that we aspire to see beyond the surface or beyond that exterior layer.
“Additionally, keep faith in whatever you believe, for anything is possible with hard work, dedication, and perseverance. Dare yourself to see each obstacle as an opportunity to grow in that moment for what is yet to come. Essentially, learn to embrace all forms of adversity. Lastly, be fearless in the pursuit of that which sets your soul on fire and unapologetically, spread your wings and fly!”
Source:  Newsday  April 4, 2021

For this month, up to Tuesday, the country recorded over 10,000 new covid19 cases according to statistics derived from the Ministry of Health’s daily 4 pm update.
The country saw 10,055 new cases and 239 deaths in the past 25 days. With 408 deaths overall, since the virus hit TT in March of 2020, the deaths in May alone, is more than double the overall total.
The ministry recorded 612 new cases and 18 more deaths on Tuesday. The total number of covid19 cases is now 20,879. Of this, 12,027 people have recovered.
Active cases have increased to 8,444 with 7,195 patients in home self-isolation, 443 in hospitals receiving medical care, and 194 patients in step-down facilities waiting to be discharged. There are also 170 people in state quarantine.
A total of 72,120 people have received their first dose of the covid19 vaccine and 1,179 people have been fully vaccinated. The ministry also reported that 173,912 samples have been sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency, the Tobago Regional Health Authority, UWI, and other local testing sites.  Source: Newsday, May 25, 2021

TRINIDAD EXPRESS – Calypsonian, Sergio Francisco, son of music icon Mighty Sparrow (Slinger Francisco), has died.
FRANCISCO, 40, passed away suddenly on Monday. It was not immediately clear what caused the singer’s death. Those close to him said he tested negative for COVID-19 last week.
“I don’t know exactly what he died from and we don’t want to speculate. We sure it wasn’t COVID because he had a negative test up till last week,” Calypsonian, Shirlane Hendrickson told the Express via phone on Monday afternoon. Francisco, a former National Action Cultural Committee Young Kings Monarch finalist and 20 Stars of Tomorrow honouree, was described by colleagues as a young, bright talent in the genre. Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation (TUCO) president Brother Resistance (Lutalo Masimba) said the performer was “a brilliant composer” with a “positive future”. “It’s a great loss, especially among our youth who have chosen to go in the direction of our indigenous artform. Sergio to us would have been one of those young bright artistes.
He was a brilliant composer, a man that coulda write all different styles. Certainly, he would have had a real positive future in this artform,” Resistance told the Express during a phone interview. Resistance said Francisco, a regular at the annual Klassic Russo Calypso Tent at City Hall, Port of Spain, always had his support since his emergence on the local music scene at the spoken word showcase Rapso Explosion. “We were always there for him. He was in the Klassic Russo but he was also involved in the rapso movement. He did a Rapso Explosion, I can’t remember the exact year, but he was also talented in that direction,” Resistance said.
Hendrickson, who managed Francisco’s nightly appearances at Klassic Russo, described him as “our big baby”.
“He was our big baby. He was a loving child. He had his challenges but we worked with him. He was a loving baby, he was our Sergio,” Hendrickson said.
STRIKING RESEMBLANCE TO HIS FATHER
She said Francisco bore a “striking resemblance” to his famous father on stage and even had some of his legendary vocal inflections.
“What is so striking is his resemblance to his daddy. It was wow. When he sing those notes and intonations it was like a reincarnation. They really say goat doh make sheep,” Hendrickson said.
Sergio’s older brother, Sancho Francisco, said he wasn’t able to comment on Monday.
“Right now wouldn’t be a good time. I trying to handle some stuff here. So, I gotta go,” Sancho said.
Hendrickson recalled a joke she made with Francisco the last time she saw him a month ago.
“He had grown even bigger and taller. I joked and said ‘boy you getting big like Godzilla’.”

Helen Evans created Planet Ceramics in 1998 in tribute to the world in an island which she found in Tobago. She talks to Pat Ganase about making art and a livelihood in a place of joy and endless inspiration.
Why Tobago?
I find it very inspiring to be working in Tobago. The whole environment is invigorating. If I just look outside my shop at the ocean, it changes from hour to hour, the sun comes out, clouds drift across, light or heavy rain, it’s an extraordinary spectacle all the time. And the sunsets are stunning. Then there’s the flora and fauna, the rainforest; so vivid, so much variety. We don’t often recognise what’s in front of us. Going back to London made me see what’s here, and what’s there; allowed me to appreciate the contrasts but also what’s special about each place.
I was born in Swansea, South Wales. I lived in the west midlands between Kidderminster and Ludlow. I loved the rolling hills and grew up fascinated by industry – taking raw materials and creating a product. There’s something quite magical about that.
All of this is expressed in Planet Ceramics. It’s a play with the words, using the earth to create pots – looking at the planet, turning into ceramics.


My parents came to Tobago on holiday at a time when the island was encouraging foreign investments, inviting people to live here. At the time, I had a dream to go somewhere that I could be inspired by the environment. I came to Tobago fresh out of art school; I had completed my degree at the Central St Martin’s (University of Arts) in London. Dad went to the High Commission in London. He met all sorts of government people in Tobago and Trinidad for me to be permitted to live and work here.
Island business
I opened three shops and employed five people; but ended up with only the one at Pigeon Point. After ten years, I wanted to take my art and business to the next level so I went back to London, worked with a lot of artists, went to shows. I even did some teaching. I showed my work in London and travelled to and from Tobago until I returned three years ago.
I spent one and a half years researching glazes for a large architectural project, working for a ceramics artist and an architectural team. This is where I learned my specialisation in glazing and understanding of how to develop glazes which is crucial to my work now.
My mum ran the shop while I was away. Those were some difficult years in Tobago. Things were looking up when I returned in 2017. I wanted to teach, so in the year before covid19, I developed a six-week programme for a couple apprentices at a time, sharing skills and practical knowledge about pottery. Making ceramics is a complex process that is physically very hard work. Having apprentices would give them and me insight, to see hand skills and aptitude. The idea is to run this programme once a year during my quiet months, targeting school leavers, presenting a course that could lead to positions in my workshop. I only managed to work with one group before the first lockdown.

Solitary work
In the first lockdown, I developed a colour range for high-fired stoneware, I wanted a family of bright colours, like our sunsets. My classic colour range had been developed in London: turquoise and pinks and muted tones. The new range is vibrant Caribbean.
I have two working kilns, electric. The small one is in use almost every day. The larger may be used once or twice a month. I have become quite adept at maintenance – everything rusts in this environment. There are people I can call in the UK, and a good electrician in Tobago. I think I use a ton of clay in a year; clay and glazes are shipped from the UK.
When I first came to Tobago, I experimented with local clay; I had big vats to dry it out. There were too many impurities. Eventually I thought, I don’t want to be in the mining and extraction business.
Ceramic work is something solitary and slow, I make everything myself, thousands of bowls to find the perfect one. I think that Tobago is a great place for this kind of productivity; and we should be a place that attracts creative people; understanding that the creative arts can lead to serious careers that you can earn a living from. Think of batik, or glass.
Next-level business
My comfort zone is making and designing, but covid showed how important marketing could be; I got a lot of business from my Facebook page and Instagram; and I was pleasantly surprised by the support from people who live in TT.
My statement pieces are my moon vases and platters. I glaze the platters and position them at an angle in the kiln so the glaze drips; you never quite know what you will get.
I am always thinking of going up to the next level; maybe to the point where I can make orders for export. I also dream of creating a craft centre with a full-time schedule where people can learn and make things from clay. My business has many layers: production for visitors; products for construction; creating an industry; and then there’s the export side. I would like to expand all avenues. I need a collaboration with industry and business to help the transition.
There has been some movement in the housing market. People are building and spending more on their houses in Tobago; every now and then I have commissions for very big pieces. There is demand for my rainforest tiles. These are designed using very simple moulds to build pieces with a lot of movement and variety; the tiles fit together for bigger pieces. I want to do more of these ‘industrial’ pieces.
I am working harder than ever, seven days a week. I spend two or three hours each morning in the studio; then I go to the shop. If there’s a workshop, that takes three hours, morning or afternoon.
The workshops are very popular, open to everybody from four to 80 in small groups. It’s a gentle but fun activity available for all ages and abilities. They have the experience of working in clay and end up with a product that they can take home, a cup or a bowl. But Pigeon Point is closed for three weeks. I will try to get the vaccine before starting more workshops. I have to think about my mother who is 78. I am hopeful that after covid, things will pick up again.
Source: Newsday, April 21, 2021

​Trinidad-born scientist Dr Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted was awarded the World Food Prize 2021 on Tuesday 11 May, 2021.
The announcement was made by US Secretary of State, Antony J. Blinken and Thomas J. Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture.
The World Food Prize is the most prominent global award recognizing an individual who has enhanced human development and confronted global hunger through improving the quality, quantity or availability of food for all.
Thilsted, who was born in Reform Village, attended Naparima Girls’ High School before going on to earned a Bachelor's of Science degree in Tropical Agriculture in 1971, from the University of West Indies, St Augustine.
After graduating, she worked as the first female agricultural officer at the Ministry of Agriculture in Tobago. While in Tobago she met her husband Finn Thilsted, a Danish citizen, and would migrate to Denmark with him.
In 1980 she received her Ph.D. in Physiology of Nutrition from the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Denmark, where she worked for many years.
Her research focused on food and nutrition security in many developing countries, especially in Asia and Africa.
Since 2010, she has been a researcher at WorldFish, headquartered in Penang, Malaysia.
WorldFish is part of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food secure future dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources.
Thilsted's husband Finn is a former Danish ambassador to Bangladesh, Kenya and Nepal.
Source: World Food Prize Foundation

 At the time we met him, Lewis was preparing about 150 pounds of nutmeg to be dried for sale.
“I have at least 20 nutmeg trees and I buy...nutmeg from estates around the community. I carry most of my nutmeg into Port of Spain,” said Lewis.
Although he's an emergency technician with the Eastern Regional Health Authority, Lewis produces nutmeg as a source of extra income. He also has a passion for it.
Growing nutmeg isn’t simple.
Firstly, there must be a male tree planted next to a female tree. The female tree, which is the flowering tree, will not bear the fruit from which the nutmeg seed is obtained if a male tree isn’t nearby.
The fruit is allowed to mature and split open, and the nutmeg seed will fall to the ground. The seeds are collected and the mace – the red coating around the seed – is removed. The seeds are then dried, giving us nutmeg as we know it. The mace is also sold and used for a variety of purposes.
When you think of nutmeg production in the Caribbean, it isn’t uncommon that the first place you think about is Grenada.

But did you know that the spice is also grown in a village along Trinidad’s northeast coast? Matelot, which is French for sailor, is known for its scenic landscape and abundant fishing.
However, the village also has a thriving agriculture sector with nutmeg being one of the mainstay crops.
On a recent visit, Business Day met with 56-year-old nutmeg farmer John Lewis to learn more about nutmeg production. For the past ten years, Lewis has grown nutmeg on approximately one and a half acres of land. To supplement what he grows, he often buys the spice from other growers in the village. But, Lewis explained, nutmeg seeds don’t always drop in abundance. Throughout the year, nutmeg trees produce seeds at high and low rates. For example, Lewis collects most of his nutmeg seeds in December and January. His harvest is smaller from February to May.
Praedial larceny is a major challenge nutmeg farmers face and, according to Lewis, it has been difficult to effectively deal with the issue.
The farmers also complain about inadequate infrastructure. Lewis said access roads to estates in the community have not been properly maintained which has led, in some cases, to estates being totally abandoned.
“The access roads to the nutmeg estates are not being properly maintained. Years upon years we have been complaining. People have been complaining about access roads here and nobody seems to take agriculture here seriously.”
Some farmers don't have proper land deeds and are not regularised, therefore they cannot register for a farmer’s badge.
Without proper regularisation, farmers are not able to seek government support for their activities which could be beneficial to boosting agriculture in the village.
Lewis intends to continue farming and is getting his 22-year-old son involved. His son recently started raring livestock and is caring for a few pigs. 
“In Matelot, it’s quite easy to live because you can eat a plantain and go on the bay to get fish. So, in terms of us (in Matelot) feeding ourselves, we can be about 60 to 70 per cent assured about that,” Lewis said. He also grows plantain, cocoa, and short-term crops.
Calling on the Agriculture Ministry to provide greater support for agriculture in the village, Lewis said this move can not only be beneficial to the village but also the entire country.
He would like to see the implementation of skills training programmes in the village to teach young people about agriculture and fishing.
With there being a number of unemployed young people in the village, he thinks actively engaging them in activities like agriculture can provide them with a source of income. It would also stem the exodus of people out of the community to find jobs elsewhere, which he said has already been happening.
He said, “We need people from the ministry to come in and support the small farmers here (in the village). Government have to pay more emphasis on the small farmers because we are the people who can build this country. They always say that a country that can feed itself will be a wealthy country. We must be able to feed ourselves.”
Source:  Newsday, April 22, 2021

An Indigenous author's children’s book has found an unexpected audience after landing on the New York Times bestsellers list.
Manitoba’s Tasha Spillett-Sumner told CTV News she was stunned when she found out her book had landed a spot on the coveted list.
"I was so surprised to find out that our book had launched right to No. 3 on the New York Times bestsellers list," Spillett-Sumner said. 
Her book, "I Sang You Down from the Stars," spent a week on the bestsellers list, which Spillett-Sumner said is an honour not given to many authors, let alone ones who are Indigenous, make the list.
However, that appears to be changing as more Indigenous voices continue to gain international recognition.
Children’s book "We Are Water Protectors," written by Indigenous author Carole Lindstrom, has been on the prestigious New York Times list for the past 11 weeks.

Spillett-Sumner's book tells the story of the universal experience of motherhood through the eyes of an Indigenous mother-to-be in what can be considered a love song to the main character's unborn child.
The picture book tells the teachings of seasons and traditional medicines that make up the sacred medicine bundle in preparing to welcome her first child into the world.
"That's how I was raised -- immersed in our cultures and our traditions. It's really important to me. It's formed who I am," she explained.
The book's illustrator, award-winning Michaela Goade, is also Indigenous.
Spillett-Sumner is a mix of Cree and Trinidadian heritage, which she said is reflected in the way she crafted the book's story.
"I come from two identities, one of which people were stolen from land and one of which land was stolen from the people," she said.
Growing up in Winnipeg, Spillett-Sumner said she faced adversity in getting to where she is today and was doubted in the past.
She recalled an experience when she was in Grade 7 and was told by a teacher that she would not succeed in a career in writing, despite her passion for it.
"I have a very specific memory of being a young person in public school… and having the teacher call me to her desk side, and sitting me down and telling me, 'Tasha, you're never going to be good at writing. So you should focus your attention else where'," Spillett-Sumner said.
Now, Spillett-Sumner said she plans to continue writing children’s books while she finishes her PhD.
Source:  CTV news, April 23, 2021