On a journey to find herself, freedom and independence…

On 3rd April, 1985 Marley Baptiste and Hetty Rolle gave birth to a tiny but determined little girl they named Marcia Baptiste.

From a tender age, she was afraid of water, was a very picky slow eater, and even crying was a challenge. Determined to be better, Marcia overcame her fear of water, learned to cry naturally and much later on in life, learned to eat at a normal pace.

Marcia began her education at the tender age of four at the St. John’s Catholic Primary School . From there, she obtained the third bursary in the island which allowed her attendance at Portsmouth Secondary School. At sixteen she was a proud graduate and holder of seven general proficiency subjects. Her educational journey led her through the Clifton Dupigny Community College which resulted in her attainment of three A level passes. Despite her academic achievement, she experienced a lot of personal stress and loss of self. Marcia was undecided, lonely and pretty despondent. Her strict upbringing precluded socializing and this added further frustration to her plight.

She reveled in reading, which was a source of escape from her reality. All hope was not lost though when a ray of sunshine burst into her darkness and she got the opportunity to travel away from her suffocating, and most times, boring life. Her first time traveling was bittersweet as she left all that she knew to embrace an uncertain future.

The excitement of traveling, meeting new people and learning new things was a part of Marcia that longed to emerge. Life was not a breeze, but strong minded, intelligent and out spoken as she is, Marcia prepared a lemonade punch out of the lemons life served her. She found herself, became independent and certain of some of the things she wanted in life. Her goals now included working in the Criminal Justice field as a Crime Scene Investigator, or being an entrepreneur who would assist in the development of her country. Marcia had the drive to become a model citizen and of course enter the Miss Dominica Pageant.

Armed with her new found identity, her life experiences, her concern for people battling with diabetes and living unhealthy lifestyles, and her thrill for justice to be served, she returned to Dominica to take on a challenge that she has dreamt of one too many times.

Being an ambassador for Dominica is something that comes naturally to Marcia. She is a people person, a natural leader, one who can identify with and represent youth in the struggles that they face. She is a role model and a fine candidate to be Miss Dominica 2010. She believes that through God everything is possible, life is not easy and nothing comes freely, but with hard work and determination, everything is possible. Marcia lives with the perpetual belief that life has no boundaries so do not limit you.

MB

Bio courtesy of the Dominic Festivals Commission.

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