A Success Story-From Bullying to Professional Psychiatrist

Human Interest Feature 

by Jason Grant 

A moment of acknowledgement for  Dr. James at a workshop at the Cecil Charlton Hall.

Photo by anonymous  

Imagine yourself attending high school surrounded by schoolmates who constantly tease you about things beyond your control. That is not a favorable experience for anyone, especially during the teenage years. This was what young Melissa had to endure in order to be a success story today. Born Mellissa Mae Tennant Now, Dr. Mellissa Mae Tennant-James is a determined woman who is the third child for her mother and possibly the first for her father. She describes herself as organized, hardworking, disciplined, career-driven, and considerate.

 On the journey to her success Melissa attended Bishop Gibson High School for Girls, where she recalls being bullied for her uniform. She was teased by students from first form to fifth form about wearing a fisherman’s jacket, and in her fourth year of high school, her mother made her uniform. She said she was the subject of much torture where she was laughed at and ridiculed because the students described her uniform as being made by a shoemaker.

Being bullied in school was not the only issue she had to deal with; she also had to deal with other struggles at home and financially. The support of her  mother gave her the courage to work harder and not worry about those who teased her.

The obstacles she faced were great and, in some instances, affected her preparation for school. Her stepmother and father stepped in when she was in her second year of high school to ensure she had all her textbooks. Even though they supported her that one time, which was her first time meeting them during the summer, her father did want much more to do with her. She said that because of the difficulty, that was the only time that she had all her text books for school.

However, that did not deter her from finishing high school because her teachers would have realized her potential and decided to assist her with uniforms and other items. She noted that this made her time at Bishop more manageable, even though she was an average performer, she did the best that she could every chance she got, and in fourth form, she managed to pass CSEC Mathematics, which made her even more determined to work hard and achieve her goals.

 The journey continued until fifth form where she fell ill and was not able to attend school for a few months at a time without a diagnosis for the sickness. Despite her season of sickness, she stated that "God brought me through, but after going back to school, fifth form ended with a huge disappointment as I did not pass all my exams". With the encouragement and determination she had, she had managed to reset, refocus, and try again, which she was successful at the second time around. She graduated from Bishop Gibson High School with the second-highest certification one could have received.

onto the next stage of her journey at Northern Caribbean University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology (Magna Cum Laude) and an Associate in Biological Sciences. She noted that her journey through NCU was also filled with pain and disappointment, including difficulty paying her tuition. During the tenure of her second to last year, she said, "Tragedy struck, and I fell pregnant under tragic circumstances. My world as I knew it ended, but I was able to eventually restart my program and graduate in 2006". Melissa was able to work and care for herself and her daughter. While she was assisted by her mother and stepfather, which made a huge difference in her journey.

As her determination and drive for excellence persisted, she continued to the University of the West Indies, Mona, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), which translates into becoming a member of the medical profession and becoming the first person for my mother to complete university education. This journey is undeniably one to remember for inspiration.

 She describes her journey as being bittersweet, with a lot of rough times and sacrifices that had a high cost. Because of her determination to be successful, she said, "I have accomplished my career dream of becoming a psychiatrist, but it’s a job filled with the greatest joys and pain. There is pain whenever the clients or patients relapse, and joy when, after starting treatments, they are totally transformed. I am reminded of what Jesus wants to do in our lives after sin has destroyed, battered, and torn you into pieces."  The icing on the cake for her journey is that she serves as the parish psychiatrist for Manchester. A life story that truly inspires you to get up and try again will make you feel the impact and joy of your accomplishments.  

The true pursuit of passion and destiny is what led her to where she is now. She stated, "I wanted to become a doctor to make a difference in the lives of patients by treating them in a holistic fashion as opposed to just treating their symptoms. I am a psychiatrist (mental health), and I was drawn to this after seeing persons with mental illness walking on the streets cursing and attacking persons. I also felt that there must be something that could and should be done for them". There is absolutely nothing that can compare to an individual who has run their race to work in the field that they desire. It will even assure that the level of compassion they possess for their career will definitely ensure the best practices and treatments for their patients.

Her story does not stop here, but it continues as she hopes to accomplish these new goals in five years: she hopes to be closer to her husband and children, while for her career she hopes to study interventional psychiatry with the hope of providing a wider range of treatments for mental illness, including electroconvulsive therapy, as well as having research articles published. As she continues to write and live her life story, let this journey be your drive and inspiration to push beyond every negative setback in your life because the best is yet to come.