Having a passion for working with children was the motivating factor to join the Beaches Turks and Caicos (BTC) Kids Camp team for the 24-year veteran at the resort, Mary Williams.
Having moved to Providenciales from Grand Turk as a teenager to follow her dream of working with children, the volunteer and team leader has not had any change of heart. Getting herself into the BTC Kids Camp family was for Mary the ultimate opportunity for her to share her dreams of working and caring for children.
“Initially, I wanted to be a teacher, as I thought this was the way to help in the development of children while building my career. When I was introduced to the Kids Camp at BTC, I thought that I would just use this as a steppingstone to get into the classroom with children. Little did I know that this resort would have provided for me the dream opportunity to being a trained teacher while growing to understand how dynamic this industry can be,” Mary shared.
While being internationally certified in Early Childhood Education, Nanny Course and Autism Awareness through the many offerings with the Sandals Corporate University (SCU), Mary has committed herself to helping in the development of those she leads. Being recognised as a leader by her superiors, this Sandals Foundation ambassador continues to share with new team members the art of leadership.
“When the opportunity came for me to be trained as a leader in my department, at first, I doubted myself. Kayanne Ajarie and Fedeline Julian were two of the mentors who encouraged me to look at the bigger picture. I always considered myself a reserved individual until the team from the Learning and Development department decided to challenge me to become a more confident and outspoken leader. I am now one of the trainers at the resort as I received certification in these areas,” Mary added.
Over the many years of her leadership, Mary has herself mentored other team members who are creating positive impacts within the industry. One such is Rushane Evans, camp counsellor in the department. When asked about her professional experience with Many, Rushane shared, “Mary is not only a supervisor but a mentor and friend. She believes in always giving of her best and the ability to depend on each other as a team.
She motivates us as her colleagues to be consistent and look at the bigger picture at all times. While always sharing her story for professional growth, she reminds me and others that once we have a dream here at BTC, we can become successful in our mission of personal and professional development.
Mary is the life of the party and she leads by example as she instills in us the discipline to expand ourselves while learning on the job and from the many courses that are offered by the SCU.”
Kayanne Ajarie, Kids Camp manager noted, “Mary is one of the most committed leaders that we have in our department. She consistently shares with the younger team members the art of being a leader and the value of mentorship.
"She is a certified trainer in the department and this has helped us as managers to share the leadership responsibilities needed to manage this area within the resort. She is great with children and can quickly have parents feel comfortable knowing that their children will have supportive motherly team members around them while they are on vacation.”
Mary’s long term goal is to be able to manage the different areas of the Kids Camp with where she will be able to help to build young minds into experiencing the value of education and development at BTC. She continues to enjoy a good work-life balance as she is involved in Sandals Foundation and sporting activities at the resort.
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