Quarter Century, wow. I’m 25!
2015 was a year of transition for me.
The first quarter of the year was personally very challenging. It allowed me to rediscover how supportive family is and I experienced the kindness of friends and strangers. As it turns out, the best time to find out who your true friends are is when life throws you an unwelcome curveball.
I fell out of love, I experienced great betrayal and I fell in love; an emotional rollercoaster would be an understatement. I was told by a close friend as a teen that the only thing constant in life is change. That thought has stayed with me ever since. So, I welcome change in whatever form it may come. Change has allowed me to rekindle old friendships and create amazing new ones.
In March, I was invited by the World Bank to speak to a group of young professionals at their HQ in Washington DC. It was an amazing experience and I truly enjoyed speaking and interacting with them. I will close 2015 having spoken to more than 3,000 people. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to speak to others and I do jump at it every opportunity I get.
In July I travelled to Canada for the first time for a Global Shapers event. It’s truly a privilege to interact with so many millennials who are doing great things in their respective countries. I left Canada inspired to continue to contribute to Jamaica, the region and the world.
EduFocal continues to grow and I couldn’t be happier. Happy, but I’m certainly not satisfied. Our team is strong and we continue to expand our reach in Jamaica and we have plans for an even larger expansion. In 2015 we made our first multi-million dollar cash acquisition; purchasing a defunct competitor’s content base. This acquisition allowed us to become the largest online GSAT resource in Jamaica. We’re still very much a small company, but 2015 saw us giving back more than $300,000 in cash and kind to students, NGOs, the local tech community and others. This year’s EduFocal Excellence Awards has also been our largest yet.
I’ve been writing my “Year in review” posts for a few years now and it’s been such an interesting and worthwhile exercise for me. It forces me to reflect on the year I’ve had it helps me to plan for the year ahead and it helps me to reflect on the progress I’ve made both personally and professionally.
2015 was a year of challenges and change, but it was also a year of growth and opportunity. The mission continues in 2016 and I know that it will also be a year full of more opportunity and growth.
A big, big thank you to those who continue to help and inspire me on my journey. My family, my better half, my board of directors, friends and even strangers. Thank you to those who are honest with me, those who encourage me and provide invaluable feedback. I truly do appreciate and I look forward to continuing on this journey called life with your guidance and support.
Happy 25th birthday to me!
As usual I want to thank local, regional, international media and others for following our journey. Here are some of the many stories throughout the year:
“Jamaica Hosts First Ever Nexus Caribbean Youth Summit” by Huffington Post
“Jamaica’s move from ‘education for all’ to ‘quality education for all’” by Virgin
“EduFocal Provides More GSATready Resources” by The Jamaica Gleaner
“GSAT, CSEC Students Top EduFocal Excellence Awards” by The Jamaica Gleaner
“EduFocal Awards top Users” by the Jamaica Observer
Originally published on gordonswaby.com on 2015-11-18 (recovered from the Internet Archive).