“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
Dedication
Covering the time from her humble beginnings in Beechamville, a rural village in the parish of Jamaica’s St Ann, to her many roles in academia, ministry, and public service, this biography is a heartfelt ode to the quiet strength and steadfast faith that define the life of Dr. Winnie Ann Marie Berry. It is a tribute to her grandmother, who enrolled her in a primary school classroom when she was a tiny girl and who taught her that a child’s foundational education should be around love, discipline, and faith.
Dr. Berry extends a special thank you to her grandmother, Orinthia Watkis, who actively provided unwavering support for her granddaughter’s spiritual and emotional needs. She also thanks her extended family, including Maudlyn Watkis and co-guardians Dr. Ivan and Eunice Lloyd, who exemplified how many hands working together can nurture a child. She thanks her husband, Courtney Berry Snr. JP and her children, Drs. Crista-Lee, Courtney, Chris-Oneil, and Courey Berry, who have supported her through many hurdles, navigated various pathways, fulfilled national duties, and enjoyed moments of peaceful contemplation.
She deeply appreciates the numerous leaders, students, and instructors whose paths have intersected with hers. The ultimate goal of all her hard work in shaping policies, curricula, and speeches is to provide children with a better chance at life and a larger horizon of hope. It is through these children that her narrative finds its true significance.
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Phase 1: Roots in the Garden Parish: Beechamville Beginnings
Dr. Winnie Ann Berry spent her formative years in a humble but value-rich environment in the peaceful hills of St. Ann, a parish in Jamaica popularly referred to as Jamaica’s Garden Parish. Her narrative starts in Beechamville, a small town close to Claremont, where the roads were bordered by trees, where everyone knew each other’s names, and where the seasons, the school bell, and the wind carried the music of church.
Growing up, she was part of a multigenerational household that shared a home with her extended relatives. At the center of that home lived her grandmother, Orinthia Watkis, a lady whose deeds and personality would subtly shape her granddaughter’s future. She was her nurturer until she was 14 years old, and then she passed away. Everyone from the grandmother to the grand-aunts helped out around the house by cooking and cleaning and, most importantly, taking care of the grandkids, which included her two brothers, Douglas and Sherman Anderson. While her mother was there for her during her formative years, she eventually relocated to a city in quest of greater possibilities, leaving Beechamville with the hope that her children would be loved and raised with discipline and kindness by other family members she left behind.
Even though she has six maternal siblings, only two of them spent their formative years there. Dr. Winnie lived there with two older brothers who were her closest friends and protectors. She was the youngest of the three. Being the youngest, she had to learn to understand the body language and emotions of the people around her, which meant she had to listen more than talk. Everything they did while no one was looking, as well as what they said, she absorbed. God blessed her, however, with two younger sisters from the Lloyds household who have remained supportive lifetime siblings, Janet Henry Riley and Pamela Housen Fraser.
By the time Dr. Winnie was born, her grandmother was no longer teaching, but her influence as an educator continued in the home and within the community. Though unremarkable by today’s standards, the school and educator had served as a symbol of pride and optimism for the locals. Dr. Winnie was impressed by her grandmother’s kindness and high moral standards. This trait was also reflected later in Eunice Lloyd, her co-guardian. Even as a young girl, Dr. Winnie observed the respect that her grandmother had earned as a key member of community ideals.
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
Phase 2 : Voice, Velocity, and Vision: The Ferncourt High Years
The moment Dr. Winnie Ann Marie Berry stepped onto the stage at Ferncourt High School, she stepped into a completely new world. While her primary school had provided her with a foundation, Ferncourt would grant her freedom. As one of the island’s long-standing public high schools, Ferncourt was located in St. Ann, in the same village of Beechamville. This school had a reputation for producing students who were well-rounded intellectually, athletically, and artistically and possessed the tools to become future leaders.
Secondary school offered new experiences and responsibilities. She also added to herself the burden of performance pressure with the thought that her entire future would be determined by how she did in this moment. While she remained in Beechamville, the youths of the parish eagerly awaited her arrival at her new school. She considered herself fortunate to be among the chosen few who got to attend that school, which had, in some ways, the flair of a school in the city. The grounds were expansive, the pupils were more confident, and the standards were high. She gracefully and intentionally embraced it.
Exploring Academic Identity : A Moving Mind
As her mind had always been exceptionally sharp for her age, she had no trouble picking up new concepts and making connections in her new environment. However, her level of involvement shifted at Ferncourt. She found herself in the company of bright minds with varying skills and strengths and allowed herself to gravitate towards the groups that matched who she was. Her peers hailed from different walks of life and represented various backgrounds from the parish of St Ann.
As more nuanced perspectives started to form in her mind, her focus shifted from dates and battles in history to people, choices, injustice, bravery, and change. She pondered the relationship that humans have with the land, their economy, and its resources, reflecting on how she learned this in relation to geography, which extends beyond the study of rivers and climate zones. Although she would later formally study gender, development, and curriculum, her exposure to society-shaping systems began in these classes in high school.
“We make a life by what we give.”
Phase 3 : Choosing Education: Mico Teachers’ College and the Formation of Purpose
Occasionally, circumstances abruptly alter a person’s life and future. Forces beyond a person’s control often cause these changes. Other times, it is events that subtly reroute fate. One such defining experience came for Dr. Winnie Ann Marie Berry as she entered young adulthood. She had lofty aspirations and wanted to become a journalist or a lawyer to work for justice and the truth in either the courtroom or the newsroom. Everything seemed to fit well with the plans. With the combination of her budding singing voice, her stage presence, and her analytical mind, she had the tools to take on the next chapter.
People on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean were talking to each other and making arrangements. A study abroad visa application was the only thing separating her from the future she thought was already taking shape. However, life had its plan for her education, as it frequently does. Unfortunately, the visa was denied. The door that she believed she was supposed to enter shut unexpectedly.
Many young individuals may have felt let down or disappointed by such an occurrence, and she did, initially. Not overnight, but subtly, significantly, and undeniably, it transformed into something new for her. As time went on, she would look back with complete clarity and declare, “God placed me exactly where I needed to be.” It was a pivotal moment, an invitation to embark on a journey that would assist her in realizing her destiny.
The Mico Teachers’ College was established to educate the children of the newly liberated formerly enslaved people. Since then, it has grown into one of the Caribbean’s most illustrious educational institutions. Mico was not in her plans, but it seems as if Mico was patiently waiting for her all along.
How Difficult It Is to Enter into Teaching
The road to becoming a teacher was neither smooth nor straightforward. The challenges of teacher training are not for the timid. There were “many rivers to cross” and several mountains to climb. It required mental toughness, introspection, originality, perseverance, and self-control. It necessitated a high level of commitment to doing the work.
Here she started to see that teaching was more than just relaying facts; it was about guiding students through the process of learning.
Note of Thanks
Dr. Winnie Ann Marie Berry extends her heartfelt gratitude to every individual who has walked with her throughout the remarkable journey detailed in these pages. She offers sincere thanks to her family, whose unwavering love, patience, and encouragement have sustained her through the many seasons of service and leadership. Their sacrifices, understanding, and quiet support have been the foundation on which her professional life has flourished.
She expresses deep appreciation to her mentors, colleagues, teachers, and students—those who guided her, challenged her, and inspired her across decades of growth. Each interaction, each classroom moment, and each shared responsibility has enriched her understanding of what it means to lead with compassion and to teach with purpose.
Her gratitude also extends to the Ministry of Education and Youth, her church community, and the countless partners who believed in her vision and entrusted her with important roles. Their confidence strengthened her resolve to serve with integrity and humility.
Above all, she extends thanks to God, whose guidance, grace, and steady hand have directed every stage of her life. It is through His wisdom that she has found the strength to lead, the courage to persevere, and the heart to serve.
Thanks,
– Dr. Winnie Ann Marie Berry