"In the end, life is not a record of achievements but a reflection of how deeply we have learned to understand people, serve with sincerity, and grow beyond every stage we pass through."
Introduction
Dr. Ria Mulraine-Durant’s story is not about titles or a list of accomplishments. It opens in a place that feels less like a place than a feeling: a warm, sun-drenched house in St. James, Trinidad and Tobago. There, life was not taught from a textbook; it was lived. It was in the quiet, everyday rituals, the way her parents spoke to neighbors, the way they handled a difficult day without complaint, the way chores were done with a sense of quiet purpose. This was not a loud or dramatic household. It was a home that hummed with a steady, unshakeable rhythm, and that rhythm slowly became the beat of her own heart.
The architects of this foundation were her parents, Errol Mulraine and Yvonne Mulraine. Their influence was not a series of lectures; it was the atmosphere they created. Honesty was not a word on a poster; it was the expectation in every conversation. Respect was not a lesson; it was the feeling of being seen and heard. Integrity was not an abstract concept; it was seeing her father do the right thing when no one was watching or watching her mother extend a helping hand without a second thought. These were not lessons Dr. Ria memorized for a test; they were the very air she breathed, so much so that they eventually became inseparable from the woman she would grow to be.
Of course, this foundation was not built without a little mortar. There was discipline, and there were corrective times, the kind that hurt a little at the time but left a lasting, valuable impression. There was no punishment in these times, just learning the weight of one’s actions. They were the small, sometimes uncomfortable, building blocks of a deep-seated sense of responsibility, a feeling that settled in her bones long before she ever set foot in a university lecture hall.
Then came the world beyond her front gate, school, and it was not always a smooth ride. Moving into new classrooms and new social groups felt jarring. At times she felt adrift, trying to find her equilibrium, as though she were trying to surf a wave that was just slightly too big. It was during this rocky period that she found a quiet rock of support in an unlikely place: her primary school teacher, Miss Mona Creed. Miss Creed never came in and did something huge and world-changing. She did something much more powerful. She was a constant, calm presence. She was the hopeful nod in the back of the classroom, the patient extra help after school, the simple, quiet belief that Ria could find her way, and little by little, that belief helped Dr. Ria rebuild her own confidence and discover a love for learning that was not about grades but about growth. As she navigated the hallways of her education, the sharp edges of those early struggles began to soften, replaced by a growing resilience. She was learning that knowledge was not just a destination to arrive at, but a landscape to explore, a muscle to strengthen over time with the right encouragement, and her own quiet determination.
But life’s classroom was much bigger than the school gates. Into her world stepped other figures who would shape her path. Mr. Imo Bakari and Pastor Earland Banfield, each in their own way, became more than mentors; they were guides, giving her a compass. Their influence went beyond professional advice or career path. It was deeper. They helped ground her, gave her solidity in moments of self-doubt, and brought her to a sense of purpose beyond personal ambition. They helped her realize that true strength is not only how you carry yourself but also how you carry others along the way.
Looking back on her early journey, it is hard to pinpoint one dramatic turning point. That is not how her story goes. It is not a bolt of lightning but a thousand threads of silent values from her parents, gentle encouragement from a teacher, grounding wisdom from mentors. It is not a change, but a development. A life molded not by lightning strikes, but by the gentle, unrelenting heat of the sun. Her story is proof of that silent development, step by step, influence by influence, anchored by the steady values that have been her constant North Star.
"The first lessons of life are never spoken loudly; they are lived quietly in the home where character is formed."
Phase 1: The Home That Shaped a Moral Compass
In a home where life was about example rather than instruction, Dr. Ria’s first foundation was established, growing up in a warm and structured environment in the parish of St. James, Trinidad and Tobago, where values were not taught as concepts but lived in everyday life. Long before she understood the weight of those lessons, she was already growing within a rhythm that would quietly stay with her throughout life.
At the centre of this early environment were her parents, Errol Mulraine and Yvonne Mulraine. Their presence was the emotional and moral foundation upon which her upbringing was built. The household they created was not one of excess or noise but one of a constant sense of order and expectation. In that space, Dr. Ria began to realize that the way people speak, act, and relate to one another has a significance that extends far beyond the immediate occasion. These initial impressions were not learned in a formal way but became deeply ingrained in her grasp of life.
Her early years were described as happy and structured. There was room for connection, for the joy of being with family and the company of kin, for moments that helped to create a sense of comfort and belonging. There was also a sense of accountability, of consequences. If things went wrong, there was discipline, not alienation from love, but an increase in awareness and accountability. If things went right there were moments of encouragement and warmth that helped her to remember the importance of effort and conduct. This balance was slowly shaping her understanding of fairness, accountability, and care.
Interaction and character from home have been highlighted. Dr. Ria grew up seeing and hearing the importance of discipline, not as an evil presence but as a guide to help maintain structure in daily life. There have been expectations to also appreciate others, treat people with respect, and be mindful of how actions affect those around us. These lessons were not isolated but were reflected in the way life was lived within the household.
As she grew, she could absorb these values in a natural way without consciously making a distinction between them. Honesty became linked with how one communicates. Respect became visible in how one engages with others. Integrity was understood as consistency between words and actions. Loyalty and appreciation of others formed part of the emotional fabric of how relationships were experienced within her family setting. This was not a matter of abstraction but of living principles that shaped her view of the world around her.
The environment of her upbringing created an awareness of behaviour and accountability. It was understood without being spoken of that you needed to be aware of what you do and think of others. That awareness was the foundation for Dr. Ria to develop an awareness of personal conduct and the effect it would have on family relationships. It was an awareness that was honed over time and was not taught but experienced and internal discipline.
Her childhood was a mix of connections and familiarity but also of routine. Those moments spent with her family and cousins were her comfort zone, her place of belonging. They were the antidote to the strictness of her upbringing; the time spent with family was not all about discipline and rules but also about presence and emotional attachment. It was here that she learned that routine and love could be partners, enabling each other to build a solid base.
"Every small moment of my childhood quietly shaped how I would see people later."
Phase 2 : Growing Within the Rhythm of Everyday Life
Dr. Ria’s life at that point wasn’t full of big, memorable events. It was full of the little, everyday things, the kind that seem so trivial when they occur but somehow stay with you, changing the way you think about everything that follows. Her childhood unfolded in a space where values were important, yes, but so were the everyday experiences that slowly, almost imperceptibly, began to teach her about people, about connection, about the way the world works.
Her home in St. James had the reassuring presence of her family. Family came and went, cousins appeared, and there was always someone to talk to, someone to eat with, someone to just be with. These were not special occasions, arranged meetings; these were just life, the everyday and the unpretentious. And yet, in the everyday, something important was happening. She was learning, without knowing it, what it is to belong. She was soaking up the cadence of human interaction, the exchange, the unspoken agreement, the subtle security of being in a crowd that knew her.
But with that comfort came formality. It wasn’t a harsh or heavy-handed thing but a steady presence that resonated through every aspect of her life. When she faltered, as children do, there were moments of correction. Not the kind that made her feel small or unworthy, but the kind that gently pushed her forward, telling her that every choice has its price. And when she succeeded, there was encouragement, a word of praise, a warm smile, a quiet acknowledgment that effort counts. They weren’t big scenes; they were brief, understated, but felt deeply. And they began to develop something in her over time, a sense of responsibility not forced from the outside but growing naturally from within.
What she came to understand, gradually and almost without noticing, was that love and discipline could coexist. They weren’t opposites. One didn’t cancel out the other. Instead, they balanced each other, supported each other, making room for her to feel both guided and loved. This balance taught her something subtle but profound: boundaries don’t diminish care; they give it shape. That correction, when offered in kindness, is not a rejection but a kind of investment in someone’s growth.
Her early years also sharpened her awareness of how people relate to each other. She began to notice, in a child’s way, that communication was more than just words. It had to do with tone, with listening, with showing respect in the smallest of exchanges. She saw how honesty built trust between people, how a kind word could ease tension, how thoughtfulness could make others feel valued. These weren’t lessons she studied; they were patterns she observed, day after day, until they became part of her natural way of seeing things.
There was also, woven into her upbringing, a quiet expectation around behaviour. It wasn’t spoken aloud; it didn’t need to be. It was simply understood that you think before you act, that you consider how your choices affect those around you, that you carry yourself with a certain awareness. Not restriction, but consciousness. Consciousness, right from the beginning, of being part of something larger than yourself and of the fact that your actions have consequences in ways you may never know.
"Every new beginning first feels like uncertainty before it becomes understanding."
Phase 3 : World of Expectations
The shift from the warmth and predictability of home into the structured world of formal schooling was, for Dr. Ria, both an opening and a jolt. Life until then had been lived within the comfortable embrace of family, familiar faces, familiar rhythms, familiar expectations. But school was different. It was a new landscape, one that demanded things she hadn’t yet been asked to give: consistent performance, visible behaviour, constant adaptation. And like so many young children stepping into that space for the first time, she found herself caught between excitement and unease.
Those early days in the classroom, here in St. James, weren’t easy. There was a sense of being unmoored, of trying to find her footing in a place where everything felt just slightly unfamiliar. The rules were different. The pace was different. The eyes watching her, teachers, classmates, the quiet pressure of expectation were different from the loving, knowing gaze of family. She had to learn, almost from scratch, how to exist in this new environment. Not just how to read and write and calculate, but how to be a student. How to navigate the unspoken codes of the classroom. How to find her place among children she didn’t yet know.
And honestly, it took time. There were times when she felt as though she was always trying to catch up, to absorb not only the lessons but the rhythm of school life itself. The transition brought its own set of challenges. There were days when the distance between home and school felt like a chasm, when the comfort of her childhood seemed a distant memory. But even then, something quietly persistent was at work within her. She didn’t give up. She kept showing up, kept trying, kept slowly figuring out how to move through this new world.
The unknown became less scary with time. She began to get the rhythms of school, the rhythm of the day, the demands of teachers, need for attention and consistency. It wasn’t a lightbulb moment, more a gradual settling. Every small victory, every understanding, built on the last. She was learning, not just academically, but in a more profound way; she was learning to adapt.
Then there was the Common Entrance exam, a looming milestone in this period. More than a test, it was a gate, a deciding point that would chart the next phase of her educational journey. Preparing for it demanded focus and effort, especially from a place where adjustment had been such a central theme. But she rose to the occasion. Passing that exam was more than an academic accomplishment; it was validation. A sign that the struggle of those early years had led somewhere. That persistence was beginning to pay off.
That success then led to the junior secondary system, where it was more organised and demanding. The expectations were higher now, the workload heavier, the need for discipline more pronounced. But something had shifted within her. The earlier difficulties had, in their own quiet way, prepared her for this. She wasn’t starting from scratch anymore. She had learned through experience how to face challenges with patience and effort. And slowly, steadily, she started to find her rhythm.
It was during this time she got a scholarship, a prize that wasn’t a single moment but the slow accumulation of effort over months and years. It was a sign of her ability to work through initial difficulties and find her feet academically. Not luck or a flash of brilliance, but the natural result of showing up, time and again, even when it was hard.
Note of Thanks
This biography of Dr. Ria Mulraine-Durant is a tribute to her personal and professional journey, but also to the many unseen hands, guiding influences, and meaningful relationships that have quietly shaped her path. This work is rooted in a life built upon discipline, compassion, service, and unwavering commitment to human development in educational, social, and community spaces.
Dr. Ria Mulraine-Durant would like to sincerely thank her family, whose values of honesty, integrity, discipline, and respect for others laid the earliest foundation of her character. These values lived and experienced in her home environment, became the moral compass that guided her through every stage of growth, transition, and responsibility. Their silent strength and constant presence are etched in her journey.
She credits her teachers, especially those who saw her potential when she was struggling. The encouragement, the practical support, and the passion to see her succeed laid the foundation of her academic journey and sparked a lifelong love of learning. Those early interventions became formative moments, helping her develop resilience and solidify her commitment to education and self-betterment.
She attributes her mentors and her spiritual community for helping her find her emotional grounding and to develop her creative expression. Dr. Ria found her voice and built confidence through involvement in faith-based organizations, choir, youth groups and service positions. These experiences were integral to her personal development and inspired her to embark on a path of writing and authorship, including her book “God Lifted Me Up!”
She also cherishes the professional settings and organizations that have assisted her in advancing in her career, namely the Children’s Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, Ministry of Social Development and Family Services, and educational projects such as RETBISC and Caribbean Tutors. Each of these settings played a role in her learning about people and strengthened her commitment to child protection, education, and community development.
Most importantly, Dr. Ria recognises her God, Jehovah God, and the many people who have helped to shape her understanding of service, empathy and responsibility: her parents, Yvonne Mulraine and Errol Mulraine; her Team Leads at the Children’s Authority, Emile Grant and Camille Mc Donald; mentors like Esther Le Gendre, the former Government Minister of Education of Trinidad and Tobago, who was also her employer as Head of Corporate Development at the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA); her staff and former work colleagues; her children, including her academic lessons students and Sunday school students; her immediate and extended family members; families she got connected to, like the family of her former husband, Bernard Durant, and her various church families; her colleagues from school; and others she has met along the way. Their faith and collective experiences have given her the desire to make a difference.
This thank you note is a reflection of a life lived in the spirit of collective influence, a life nurtured through faith and a demonstration of God’s love, education, service, and human connection.
thanks,
– Dr. (H.C.) Ria Mulraine-Durant
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