HARSHA PARCHANI
Hardware Engineer
Where did you go to college? University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
What degree or degrees do you have? I have a Bachelor of Engineering – Electrical Engineering.
Where do you currently work? Microsoft, specifically, I work for Surface
What is your position at your current employment? I am a hardware engineer for Surface.
What are your career tasks?
As a hardware engineer for Surface, I work on next-generation products. Currently, I work across a few teams (User Inputs and Connectivity), so my work covers design validation and feature investigations for wireless experiences and user input experiences (ex. touch, pen, sensors, etc). As part of design validation, my goal is to ensure we ship products with as few bugs as possible, so our customers have the best experience using our products. This requires an incredible amount of testing across a variety of technical areas to ensure our products perform as expected. For feature investigations, my work involves determining what new features would help differentiate our products, what value they add to the business, and what work is required to get the feature ready for a program. Every day is a bit different. I get to drive conversations with key stakeholders as well as help build the culture within Surface. It is very rewarding to see how technology is developed and what factors influence the industry.
EMILY MELISSA SANG
Marketing & Communications coordinator
Which college did you attend?
I went to Hotelschool The Hague, The Hague Campus. I completed two international internships each in grand luxury 5-star hotels – Almanac in Barcelona and Jumeirah Al Naseem in Dubai. I recently graduated in December 2022! However, the actual graduation ceremony will be this coming April.
What degree do you have?
I now hold a Bachelor’s in Business Administration in Hotel Management with a minor in Guest Experience.
Where do you currently work?
I am now the Marketing & Communications Coordinator at the Conservatorium hotel in Amsterdam. I started this new year with a great job in something I have always wanted to do and couldn’t be more happy.
CAITLIN ROWE-CLARK
Bath Spa University – Bath, England
What degree did you pursue?
Business Management
Where do you currently work?
I Work for a company called Indivior in England, a pharmaceuticals company focused on addiction treatments (mainly opioids) and behavioral health as Head of Global Supply and Demand.
HESROY PHILBERT
Psychologist/Music Educator
Where did you go to college? I attended The University of the Southern Caribbean located in Trinidad.
What degree did you pursue? I pursued a degree in psychology with an emphasis in behavioral sciences. I am currently in pursuit of a music degree in conducting and arranging from Lehman College CUNY in Bronx New York.
Where do you currently work? Prior to my departure to New York, I taught music at the St. Andrews Primary School on the island of Antigua. As the only male teacher on staff, I taught children ranging from Kindergarten all the way to 6th Grade. The studies in psychology did come into play as I dealt with children from varying walks of life and family situations. Apart from teaching, I am also a gigging musician. During my time in Antigua, not only did I play music at different hotels and shows, but I also worked as a studio musician. This means I would go to the studio to add the needed parts to the track, whether it be drums, keyboard or string (violin) parts. In the process I won two national competitions for the arranging and production of two songs. I also did this work for other artists overseas. All in all my goal after completing this new music degree is to be able to write, arrange for and conduct my own orchestra with the hopes of getting my scores into soundtracks, movies or wherever it takes me.
HESTON PHILBERT
Medical Intern
Where did you go to college? I attended the University of Montemorelos in Nuevo León, Mexico.
What degree or degrees do you have? I obtained a Doctorate of General Surgery.
Where do you currently work? I work at the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) General Hospital of Zone 2 in Hermosillo Sonora, Mexico and Hospital of gynecology and pediatrics in Hermosillo Sonora, Mexico.
What is your position at your current employment? I am a medical intern at both hospitals.
What are your career tasks? Depending on which area I am working in, I do different tasks. I rotate as an intern and it can vary between delivering babies and doing simple surgical procedures to hammering hips and fixing hernias.
Once I have completed my year of what is called social service for studying here in Mexico, I will be returning to the United States to continue my studies and hopefully become a plastic surgeon although my interest in trauma and orthopedics have been growing exponentially!
RUHAN JAY BORA
Global Account Executive
Where did you go to college? I attended the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
What degree do you have? I have a Bachelors of Sciences in Economics.
Where do you currently work? I currently work at MongoDB which is a publicly traded company that offers database technology to underpin applications across a wide range of industries. Our technology is used to power games like Fortnite, financial applications like Coinbase, and even the in-car entertainment for Tesla.
What is your position at your current employment? I am currently the Global Account Executive for HSBC bank which is one of MongoDB’s largest customers in the UK. I am responsible for working with their investment banking division.
What are your career tasks? My primary responsibility is to close 1.2M dollars worth of deals within the bank by working with senior IT stakeholders to identify areas of transformation and guide their teams through evaluating and ultimately implementing MongoDB within their applications.
JAI LAKHWANI
Executive Chef
Where did you go to college? I attended college at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.
What degree do you have? Bachelors in Culinary Arts
Where do you currently work? I own and operate Jai’s Contemporary Fusion Cuisine in Simpson Bay.
What is your position at your current employment? I am the Executive Chef.
What are your career tasks? My career tasks involve making sure the entire menu and restaurant is set up for service before guests arrive. This can include picking up ingredients, preparing sauces and proteins, and a daily meeting with my staff to go over any possible changes.
Website
Jai’s Contemporary Fusion Cuisine
68 Welfare Road
Plaza Del Lago, Cole Bay
JEROME BROOKS
Legal Business Consultant
Which college did you attend? Northeastern University and Northeastern University School of Law
What degree do you have? Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Juris Doctorate
Where do you currently work? High Fidelity Trust
What do you do as a legal business consultant? As a Legal/Business Consultant, I am tasked with several duties and responsibilities. The trust company offers a number of trust services that include, but are not limited to, asset and wealth management, business incorporations, and business liquidations. I liaise with notaries, banks, law firms, accounting firms, real estate agencies, and government entities on the island and abroad.
NILESH DIALANI
Family Medicine Physician
Where did you go to college? I went to undergrad at Western University in London, ON, Canada.
What degree or degrees do you have? I got my degree in Biology. I then went to American University of the Caribbean (AUC) and got my medical degree.
Where do you currently work? I currently work for AdventHealth.
What is your position at your current employment? I am a family medicine physician.
What are your career tasks? As a family physician, I treat and manage chronic medical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, asthma, COPD, etc. I also perform many office based procedures including cryotherapy, skin excisions, and joint injections.
NEELESH ALWANI
Which college did you attend? I went to school at Drexel University in Philadelphia.
What degree do you have? I have a Bachelor of Science in Business (with a focus on entrepreneurship) from the Lebow College of Business at Drexel
Where do you currently work? Miami, Florida-TimePiece Trading LLC, and TPTForeigns LLC
What is your position at your current employment? I own both businesses.
I buy and sell watches from some of the most high-end clientele (Including Drake, Nelk, 6ix9ine, NBA Yungboy and many more).
SEAN BUDHRANI
Strategy Director
Where did you go to college? Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania
What degree did you do? I received a Bachelor of Science in Economics with Finance / Accounting specializations.
Where do you currently work? I work for a Company called Orva.
What position do you hold and what kind of tasks are involved? I am the Director of Strategy. Currently I do a mix of finance and strategy for the Company. I evaluate new business opportunities, business development (acquisitions and investments), technology, financial reporting and advise the board of directors.
CORINNE LAFLAMME-WATHEY
Assistant Marketing Manager (Freelance)
Where did you go to college? My area of study included a Business Management major and Psychology minor at Pace University in New York. After two years, I transferred to Concordia in Montreal and decided to change my major to psychology.
What degree or degrees do you have? I wanted to study something I really loved, which pushed me to apply to a fashion design program at Lasalle College in Montreal, where I completed three years of studies and now have a Diplôme d’études Collégiales (DEC).
Where do you currently work? JimGroup
What is your position at your current employment? I currently work at the JimGroup as a freelance visual marketing manager with the hopes of eventually working abroad in the fashion styling industry connected to advertising and film.
What are your career tasks? At the JimGroup which is a group of four retail stores; Vib’s, Jules, GoSport and Bébé n’ Kids, my tasks are as follows:
- Develop media plan and investing strategy
- Head graphic design and assistant in visual merchandising
- Assistance in campaign planning and management.
BREANNA BARRIE
Program Associate at St. Maarten Development Foundation
Project Coordinator (SXM DOET)
Where did you go to college? I attended the University of Toronto for my Bachelor’s degree and the University of Birmingham for my Master’s degree.
What degree or degrees do you have? I earned a Bachelor of Science with Honors, double majoring in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Toronto, followed by a Master’s degree with Merit in Psychology from the University of Birmingham.
Where do you currently work? I work at the St. Maarten Development Fund (SMDF) and at SXM DOET.
What are your career tasks? As a Program Associate at SMDF, I am responsible for directing and overseeing various social development projects and programs, while taking the lead in developing materials to promote and communicate about SMDF programming across various mediums such as print, web-based, and social media. Most notably, I am the project lead for the Learn SMART Program, an innovative initiative launched in collaboration with the Government of Sint Maarten and Coursera, which offers free online courses to Sint Maarten residents.
In the past, I co-managed the School Uniform Project and the School Supply Project, which helped over 500 vulnerable students by providing them with two sets of school uniforms across all 17 local primary schools, as well as school supplies for 9 local high schools. Additionally, I have also contributed to the administration of the Income and Unemployment Support Programs within the Sint Maarten Stimulus & Relief Plan (SSRP) and the Collective Food Assistance Program.
As a Project Coordinator within the Project Coordination Team at SXM DOET, I am responsible for organizing and overseeing the country’s largest volunteer event in close collaboration with the Oranje Fonds and locally organized by Be the Change Foundation. This yearly event typically hosts over 90 volunteer projects and attracts 1500 volunteers over a two-day period. For this, I am responsible for developing, editing, and publishing high-quality graphic content across various media channels, including newspapers, radio, social media, billboards, and videos, to promote and advertise the event to NGOs, interested volunteers, and potential sponsors/partners. Additionally, I help organize pre- and post- activities linked to the event, such as workshops, information sessions / webinars, meet and greets, evaluations, and giveaways.
CHE PELLETIER
Laboratory Analyst
Which college did you attend and what degree or degrees do you have? I went to Concordia University in Montreal, Canada.
What degree or degrees do you have? I earned my Bachelor’s of Science in Behavioural Neuroscience and graduated with Great Distinction.
Where do you currently work? I work at a company called Altasciences where we are contracted by big pharmaceutical companies like AstraZeneca to test new or current medications/vaccines on animal or human studies.
What is your position at your current employment? My current job is a Laboratory Analyst.
What are your career tasks? I take biological matrices like Human or Animal Plasma and extract the drug in question from it so that it can be isolated and transferred to a graph called a mass spectrum where you can identify exactly every molecule in the drug and identify any outliers or impurities.
Staying in this career would definitely lead to a supervisory position, but I’m planning to pursue a master’s in Neurochemistry instead in order to advance in my career.
ASHNEIL SAKHRANI
Commercial Airline Pilot
Where did you go to college? I went to Purdue University in Indiana, USA.
What degree or degrees do you have? I have a bachelor’s degree in Professional Flight Technology.
Where do you currently work? I currently fly for EasyJet based in Portugal.
What is your position at your current employment? I recently became a captain.
What are your career tasks? I am ultimately responsible for the safety and security of the aircraft, my crew, its passengers and the cargo. I am tasked with providing transportation from one place to another in the safest and most efficient way possible.
TANVI GOKLANI
Brand Marketing Executive
Where did you go to college? I attended Florida State University & The University of Melbourne.
What degree or degrees do you have? I have a Bachelor of Science in Marketing & Master of Marketing & Communications.
Where do you currently work? I work for The Heineken Company – Americas Export.
What is your position at your current employment? I am the Brand Marketing Executive.
What are your career tasks? At my job I manage the Heineken portfolio on all ATL/BTL initiatives including marketing & sales within St. Maarten, Anguilla, Saba & St. Eustatius.
SHADANI FLEMING
Graphic Designer
Where did you go to college? I attended Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee.
What degree or degrees do you have? I have a Bachelors of Arts, specializing in Graphic Design.
Where do you currently work? I currently work at Trakx Design, an advertising, marketing and printing agency in St. Maarten.
What is your position at your current employment? I am the Senior Graphic Designer.
What are your career tasks? As the Senior Graphic Designer, my duty is to create designs for outdoor 3D non/lit signs, indoor signs, banners, business cards, flyers and advertisements, vehicle wraps, company branding and promo displays. Some of our clientele include SOL Gas Station, Cost U Less, Princess Juliana Airport, St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC), TelEm and other local restaurants and businesses. Along with my design duties on the job, I also freelance. Among my many freelance projects, I have had the opportunity to design the new St. Maarten vehicle license plate, and more recently, the booklet for the 2023 Governor’s Symposium.
SNEHA IDNANI
Workflow Manager
Where did you go to college? I attended Les Roches Marbella University.
What degree or degrees do you have? My degree is in Hotel Management.
Where do you currently work? I am employed at the British Embassy Madrid.
What is your position at your current employment? I am the Workflow Manager.
What are your career tasks? I manage a team that assists British Nationals around the world who find themselves stranded without documentation due to a variety of crisis situations (lost/stolen/abductions/war/abuse). Our department is a global department so I work with stakeholders across the world to streamline our process and ensure maximum efficiency when handling cases.
POOJA ASRANI
Real Estate Agent
Where did you go to college? I went to Mount Saint Vincent University, in Halifax, Canada.
What degree or degrees do you have? I have a business degree; I majored in marketing and management.
Where do you currently work? I work for the number 1 real estate brokerage on the island, Century 21.
What is your position at your current employment? I am a real estate agent.
What are your career tasks? I work in both the residential and commercial real estate market in rentals and sales. I manage all the rentals, do property management and Airbnb. I also draft contracts and legal documents, as well as coordinate inspections and appraisals.