Rhonda Blackman is a teacher and also the president of the National Council of Parent-Teachers Associations.
What is your greatest childhood memory?
Going on the church bus excursions with my family. Mummy would wake as early as 5 a.m. to do the preparations. My sisters and I would be so excited we would all rise early to help and be ready for 6 a.m. even though the bus was leaving at 9 a.m. Then the ride on the Rocklyn buses, beating the cymbals and the singing. Those were great memories.
What is your most precious moment?
The birth of my children Michael and Miranda. Just being able to hold them close at birth was a feeling words cannot express.
What keeps me passionate is . . .
My zest to educate others. My ability to impart knowledge, motivate and influence others. My passion for parenting and parent educations.
My biggest regret is . . .
Not pursing a career in medicine. It was my dream to become a medical doctor. I knew from an early age I wanted to be able to help others and save lives.
A life-changing moment happened when I . . .
Became divorced. It made me into a stronger woman.
It allowed me to look at life in a broader spectrum. It also tightened the bond I held with my two children and made us a stronger family.
My most treasured possessions . . .
Are my two children. They are first and foremost in my life. I am a parent first and anything after. I ensure that I look after their holistic development-spiritual, physical, emotional, intellectual, creative, social. I also try to inculcate in them the values my mom instilled in me.
How did I ever exist without . . .
The grace of God. He has been my tower of strength and my comfort in the time of need. He has blessed me with a good family and two awesome friends Heather and Recarlo Brome.
The person who has made the biggest impact on my life?
My mother Monica Douglas. Her strength, endurance and perseverance have taught me what it means to be a strong woman. She has taught me how to be a leader and stand on my convictions, stand on what I believe in. Stand on principle. Mum has instilled in me great values- the importance of being on time, honesty, thoughtfulness and showing love.
What I love most about myself now is . . .
I have a forgiving heart and I am also able to smile with others even when I know they are doing me wrong. I am a visionary, a strong, assertive woman who knows where she is and where she wants to be. I am an independent thinker who is intrinsically motivated and is not easily influence by anything or anyone around me. I have the ability to motivate others and make a change.
