Homeless never Hopeless: The Story of Shamar Jack's Journey to Education and Entrepreneurship

A rough and rocky childhood filled with ups and downs has made Shamar Jack who she is today. Shamar was born in the parish of St. Thomas where she lived with her mother and siblings. “Living in St. Thomas was very hard as my mother could not afford to take care of my siblings and me. She later left for a foreign country to work so she could provide for us. This did not work out as she planned, and in a very short time our circumstances started to deteriorate, and we found ourselves vulnerable and homeless.” described Shamar. Things got even worse for Shamar when her mom left again and left her and her siblings, including a 4-month-old baby boy with a male friend. She made the decision to stop attending school to take care of her siblings. At 11 years old Shamar was taken into a children’s home where she remained until she was 18 years old.

While moving between different parishes Shamar attended several primary schools including, Parottee Primary school, Pear Tree River Primary, and Johns Town Primary. “My mother coming in and out of my life placed a burden on me on my return to St. Thomas. I struggled academically, financially, and emotionally. I was then placed in a Children’s Home where I was introduced to home-schooling. This was where I started to bloom academically and quickly discovered what I really wanted in life.” Shamar shared with Education Jamaica Magazine. She then attended the Whitehall Primary and Junior High School where she sat the GNAT Exam and passed for Kingston Technical High School. Shamar was a Cadet member and a member of the Entrepreneurial Club. She managed to graduate high school with 7 CSEC subjects and went on to study at Church Teachers College. “College was never easy. I suffered from depression and anxiety, but I was very committed to succeeding and I never gave up. I pushed through several personal obstacles. Today I am proudly holding a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education.”

The Entrepreneurship Journey

“My personal situation has created a need for me to be independent." shared Shamar. While attending Kingston Technical High School (KTHS) Shamar studies all commerce subjects and was an active member of the Entrepreneurial Club. These courses and activities gave her an opportunity to begin to understand the world of business. "My very unstable background made me hungry to have financial security. I proved to myself that I can work hard and overcome hard things. With God’s help and the strong support of people who believed in me I was able to obtain a degree which I believe is the foundation to prepare me for entrepreneurship.” This is how Kadeen's Glamourous Slays was born. The name of the business was inspired by Shamar's middle name "Kadeen" and her passion to help women slay.

Kadeen’s Glamorous Slays

Kadeen’s Glamorous Slays major goal is to provide hair products and accessories and even bikini wear for females while helping them to bring out their inner beauty. "I would like to provide complete hair care services to all hair types especially to those suffering from hair loss or damaged hair. The major goods and services for the business will be – haircare wash, shampoo, and styling, natural hair care, wigs, and hair dyeing," says Shamar who would also like to offer hair care products for natural and straightened hair in the future.

A little advice from Shamar to other young Entrepreneurs

My advice to start-up entrepreneurs is to not be afraid to take risks. Many persons are afraid to start because they fear failure and naysayers. I believe once you have a vision, a passion for that business, and a desire to create it, your business will become a reality. Consistency and determination are the keys. Always remember when you make your vision a reality it will seem dark but press on and face your darkness until you succeed. It is not easy, but it can be done!

Connect with Shamar Jack on social media.

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