“I still vividly remember how surreal it was; I actually said to myself “Wow, I am finally here” (on the Pt Lisas Industrial Estate), as I soaked in all of the surrounding environment with the chemical lines and pipes. I always wanted to be there and the feeling of it happening is something I can never forget”.
Photo credit: Luvo Productions Ltd.
Life for Carolyn James has recently been what she describes as ‘an emotional roller-coaster’. With a mere 33 years behind her, she has come to a stage in her professional life where she can proudly celebrate some hard-fought wins. Ironically however, her success also stirs a bittersweet feeling as she has almost simultaneously faced tremendous loss.
Carolyn, an alumnus of La Romain High School, first dabbled with the idea of specializing in IT and even considered Forensics on the advice of her deceased mom, but finally set her heart on Occupational Health Safety and Environment. Her decision was met with approval from her late mother whom she remembers once told her that she agreed as she ‘loves to see women in those safety boots and coveralls’. One of two daughters from a family which would eventually be headed by her late mother, Carolyn many times during our chat, shared how deeply involved her mother was to her success.
Having fully qualified, Carolyn is today employed with ASCO Logistics Limited as a HSSEQ Officer. Post-secondary school she enrolled at UWI for a Certificate course in Business Management and Technology and then a BSC in Occupational Health Safety and The Environment at Cipriani Labour College. Unlike many of her friends, Carolyn’s life was practically devoid of the social activity that a young person would expect; in addition to having a long commute from her home in Pleasantville, GATE had been adjusted and she now needed to find an additional source of funding her studies and worked at a pharmacy and then the Ministry of Works during her time at school. Despite the obstacles, she was determined to complete her training as a desire for working in the energy sector had been ignited. Carolyn remembers the first time she drove through the Pt Lisas Industrial Estate and the feeling of awe that filled her “ I was fascinated by the sheer size of the plants and the lights on the Estate; coupled with the thought of how complex everything there was, the lack of understanding of what it was all about was a big motivation for me”. In 2017, after completing her studies and working at several jobs to make her dream a reality, Carolyn was finally able to get herself into a position at a contractor service company in the Pt Lisas Industrial Estate. She joined during a turnaround and still can vividly remember “how surreal it was; I actually said to myself “Wow, I am finally here”, as I soaked in all of the surrounding environment with the chemical lines and pipes. I always wanted to be there and the feeling of it happening is something I can never forget”.
After 5 years, Carolyn decided that she needed a different perspective of the industry and considers herself extremely lucky to have been hired for a global company such as ASCO Logistics Limited. Quite apart from the experience being overwhelming, Carolyn has also found herself in a field where the male/female ratio puts her in the minority. It’s something she has grown used to and comfortable with and her advice for other young women is that “there are some colleagues who would be protective of you, but once you show respect, it is returned and this leads to a positive work environment”. Her responsibilities at ASCO have in a sense brought her full circle, since in combination with her downstream and service sector experience she can appreciate the sector holistically.
While Carolyn is grateful that her mother witnessed her graduation, she longs for her mother to share in her recent milestones. As she reflected “I would love for her to see that my life has moved from just doing the hard work to actually getting the opportunity to be rewarded by being given the opportunity to attend events such as the Energy Conference earlier this year, and other leadership and safety conferences.” While these are occurrences that some might take for granted, Carolyn’s success was borne from a great deal of sacrifice, and she savours and celebrates each experience. One person, apart from her mother, whose professional life and advice has impacted her positively, is Antonia Lucky, HSE Manager at Nutrien.
As we ended our chat with Carolyn, whose pleasant manner defies the recent challenges she has faced (including the death of her mother and mentor in December 2024), she stressed how fortunate she feels to be a part of the team and at ASCO where there is room for growth and experiences that will further shape her professional life here in T&T and if she is lucky, even beyond our borders. Having been exposed to high stress and extremely long hours in previous jobs, she is grateful for a less hectic pace at ASCO and values the autonomy and flexibility which is associated with her role. Carolyn’s loss has also made her very sensitive to the need to maintain a balance between one’s professional and personal life, “it’s nice to have a job that pays and gives you a comfortable position both professionally and financially, but I think you have to make sure that you focus too on your family and personal life so you don’t look back with regret when it’s too late”.