The Saint Lucia Cadet Corps, a para-military organisation, is celebrating 95 years of existence, and a woman has made history in its ranks.
She is the first female Regimental Sergeant Major, ranked as Warrant Officer Class 1.
Her name is Jeanelle Harris, from Belle Vue, Vieux Fort.
Harris, who is marking 25 years with the Saint Lucia Cadet Corps and is a teacher at the Belle Vue Combined School, took us back to when she joined the organisation.
“I joined the Saint Lucia Cadet Corps in 1999 as a student of Campus A, Vieux Fort,” Harris recalled.
“While there were some women at the time, there seemed to be a lot of stigma associated with women joining the organisation. I would have some people say to me, ‘What a girl like you doing in cadets?’ But I was never deterred and I know that this organisation has served me well as an individual, building on my character, confidence and self-discipline,” she expressed.
Harris said the Cadet Corps has also allowed her to serve her community and country at various levels.
She noted that becoming the first female Regimental Sergeant is an honour
“I feel quite elated and I am very pleased that the leadership of the organisation has placed confidence in me, knowing that I am capable and this is the reason I was given this appointment. I see this as not only for me but for the young women in Saint Lucia to say to them that we can move up the ladder in any field we put our minds to,” Harris said.
Jeanelle Harris wants to continue encouraging other young women who may be apprehensive about joining the Cadet Corps.
To this day, she strives to dispel the unwarranted stigma, saying there is no discrimination within the body.
Harris stated that she believes in an equitable and just society and that the Saint Lucia Cadet Corps stands up for those principles and is an agency for social change.
“When it comes to battling crime and some of the other social ills of society, I think our organisation can be at the forefront of this through continuing to instill discipline, service and leadership,” Harris explained.
“This is a place where individuals can come in to gain a skill and to steer away from some of the negative influences. With so many of our young dying and killing each other, I believe that the Cadet Corps has a role to play in making that change,” she asserted.
The Government of Saint Lucia supports the Saint Lucia Cadet Corps through the Ministry of Education.
The organisation, started here on July 13, 1929, with its first unit at St. Mary’s College, takes part in both para-military and community activities.
Today, the SLCC operates within over twenty secondary schools around the island and is at the forefront of many national events, falling within the purview of the Government of Saint Lucia and the office of the Governor General.
The organisation also responds in times of natural disasters and pandemics.
Among the aims of the Saint Lucia Cadet Corps are to inspire young people to achieve success in life with a spirit of service to the country and their local community and develop qualities required of a good citizen.
Currently serving at the helm of the Saint Lucia Cadet Corps is Colonel Nathan Hyacinth.
