Raynel Carroll – Showing up prepared and pushing open the door for others

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

Whether it is economic exclusion; financial systems that perpetuate their discrimination; limited participation in political and public life, or being stuck at the intersection of race and gender, for decades African-Caribbean women have faced heavy challenges. These challenges include a wider lack of representation and large pay gap. With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated health and economic crisis, which has disproportionately impacted the Black community, these barriers have grown tremendously.

Lack of recognition is another struggle Black women have faced for decades in the workplace. I am sure that sisters reading this right now can identify with having to work harder and being “twice as good” as their cultural counterparts. It is why when I met this young woman I was moved by her ability to step out from the norms and expectations set by society and create an impressive career in a demanding industry.

Raynel Carroll is the Development Manager for the Antigua & Barbuda Tourist Board, and throughout her life, she has pushed through moments of fear and doubt, because no matter how scared or nervous she was, it was always worth taking a risk to level herself up in life.

The need to succeed for Raynel is built in her DNA, and her success is beyond simple bragging rights or a pat on the back. Her success represents something bigger than her own personal victory.

Alongside the pressure to succeed as a young African-Caribbean woman, there are covert pressures that are felt to excel within spaces that were not originally set up for a woman or an African-Caribbean person to excel. I had the amazing opportunity to sit down with this accomplished young woman for deeper insight on how we can keep that pressure from paralyzing us on the path to reaching our goals.

“Young Black women face some of the toughest challenges imaginable. It takes a lot to prove yourself.”

In her position at the Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Authority, she works with a team that is dedicated to realizing the tourism potential of Antigua & Barbuda, and promotes the twin island state as a unique, quality tourist destination. As the Development Manager, one of her objectives is to increase visitor arrivals and provide a means for sustainable economic growth.

Raynel has a fun loving personality that allows her to provide strong leadership and strategic focus in the delivery of the Antigua & Barbuda’s Tourism initiatives. She has been pinnacle in enhancing Antigua & Barbuda’s vibrancy, liveability, and tourism. I spent a week with her, and in that time she demonstrated a high level of communication, a high level of motivation, she possessed well developed negotiation, coordination and research skills, and she demonstrated the ability to think strategically and foster high performance through effective conversations and feedback.

Even though she is a busy, young lady, I was able to sit down with her, and she shared with me her journey on becoming a phenomenal woman.

“I was born in Antigua and Barbuda, but on the island of Antigua,” Raynel began. “I saw my mother work very hard for my sister and I, and she did a great job of making my childhood fun. I was an energetic young girl, and I found a love for dance at a very young age. I think I might have been about four years old. My mom kept us involved in a lot of activities. Mom wanted to keep us busy, and my sister and I fell in love with dance.”

Raynel attended Sunnydale Primary School, which is known for dancing and the arts. She then went to All Saints Secondary School, and Raynel came to a realization while she was there.

“To me education was the key, but I also realized the importance of having a skill. I played netball, and was recognized as an outstanding player in 2006. While I was in secondary school, I was part of a dance troupe that danced at hotels at night, and this is when I fell in love with hospitality.

I entered a pageant in 2009, and I found that I really enjoyed doing this. I was successful and I used this platform to push myself forward. After graduating from secondary school, I received the Prime Minister Scholarship, and furthered my education at the Antigua and Barbuda Hospitality Training Institute.”

It was at this point that Raynel began to understand that as an African-Caribbean woman with a platform, she had a responsibility to show up more than prepared and push open the door for others. It was because of the lack of access to opportunities within certain high profile and high stakes environments that Raynel knew that she would have to serve as an example.

“While I was at the Institute, I focused on learning everything about tourism: being an ambassador, culinary, reception and sales. I learned how to sell products, and hotel services. From there, you had to do an internship before you were awarded a certificate. I landed an internship in 2013 at Antigua and Barbuda Tourism; this was after I attended Monroe College in New York, and completed my degree in Hospitality Management. I was blessed with the opportunity to intern at the office of the Government of Antigua and Barbuda.”

Upon meeting Raynel, you cannot ignore her natural beauty, and it is one of the reasons why in 2013 she became Ms Antigua, Barbuda.

“I represented the island in five regional titles,” Raynel told me proudly.

She graduated in 2016 and landed the Marketing Assistant Position at the Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Board. She quickly moved up to the Marketing Officer position in 2018, and in 2019 she was gifted an opportunity to work in Canada. It was in 2022 that Raynel moved into her role as the Development Manager.

“I am fortunate to have leaders who are not gender biased. As a young woman starting your career off at the age of 18, you are not seen as competent. You have to prove why you are the person for the job. I remember that a woman called me an airhead once because I was wearing a costume. It was a shame, because she had no idea who I was, and what my capabilities were.

What I learned from Raynel, and what I want to pass on to other young women is, if you want anything bad enough, go out and fight for it. Work day and night in order to achieve the goal. Sacrifice your time, your peace, and your sleep. Sweat for it, fret for it, plan for it, and then watch the magic happen.