From poverty to moulding the minds of our future generation- Sir Riaz Rupnarain is a role model

In life, you are going to find that it throws at you some difficult challenges, sometimes it will bring out your fears and lead you into uncertainty, and other times it will be joyful.  

Sir Riaz Rupnarain

That is why it is important to embrace all emotions that come up in your life, embrace them wholeheartedly, and understand why they are there and then let them go.  

This is precisely what Riaz Rupnarain did, and now, he sees himself embracing something that he never thought he would do. He is currently moulding the minds of our future generation despite it not being the profession he first considered. 

Rupnarain was born on the 16th January 1990, at the Oscar Joseph District Hospital to Bibi Zulaika Noorjahan and Vrejanand Rupnarain. He is the smallest of three children and grew up in Jacklow, Pomeroon River, Region Two.

His journey, though, has not been on a perfectly paved road; instead, it has been on one lined with potholes. The young man said that his parents were not wealthy, but they always tried their best to provide for him and his other siblings. 

We may not have had the best of things, but my dad and mom made sure we had what we needed. We were never taught gender roles. My mom said you must learn to do everything because you don’t know what your future holds.

Riaz attended the Jacklow Nursery and Primary school, after which he was awarded what persons considered as the top school in the region, but due to financial constraints, his parents were forced to send him to Charity Secondary School – which was closest to home. 

He graduated in 2005 as the Valedictorian and became an Assistant Medical Laboratory Technician. He was later offered a scholarship to study medicine in Cuba. However, due to lack of funds, he was forced to decline the scholarship. The young man said that he had his CXC subjects; however, it was difficult finding a job given that he was a neophyte. 

I joined the teaching profession reluctantly, as I was unemployed for months and needed the income to help my parents. I started to teach at a private school, and after graduating from CPCE in 2012, I did a stint in the public schools. I left the teaching profession after I tried several times to acquire a scholarship and was being denied.

In 2017, the young teacher was awarded a scholarship to study International Relations at the University of Guyana. 

“This programme piqued my interest when I was selected to represent Guyana at the United Nations Summer Youth Assembly 2017 in New York, the USA, discussing the SDGs and the impact of Youth development.”

He added, “In 2018, my passion for politics arose when I led the University of Guyana team to victory as the Leader of the Opposition at the 2018 Youth Parliament.”

Riaz said that even up to a day like today, he still has a passion for teaching and the profession’s love. He said he would use the love to help build and develop the minds of our youths. It is against this background that in 2019, the young man decided to pursue his Masters of Arts in Education Leadership from the University of Bedfordshire. 

He said his passion for both International Relations and Education is leading him to complete his Doctoral studies in Education and International Development at the completion of his Masters in March 2021. 

Since I was young, I have always wanted to be a doctor, just didn’t realise until now what doctor I would be. My journey would be used to show those from my village and those of similar circumstances that it does not matter where you come from or the money you have but that education will surely open doors and create a future that you never expected.

Even though he has been in the teaching profession for 15 years, Sir Rupnarain said that he doesn’t see his future in the classroom, but rather revamping and changing Guyana’s education system. He said this change is pivotal to ensuring that our greatest asset – our children are well rounded. 

As a science specialist, I don’t see myself forever in the classroom, for in order to see the change, I have to be the change. That is why I want to acquire my qualifications and be an asset to my Guyana, a land I love so much.

Sir Riaz said that the man he is today is because of the Supreme Being along with his mother, father, and his adopted grandmother. 

My mother, a woman who has shown me the strength and faith that with hard work, you get what you need, not what you want. My dad, despite not being here to see my success – my greatest regret, was instrumental in teaching me values about friendship, work ethics, and more so, how being a man is sticking to your word and never forget where you come from. Finally, my adopted grandmother, a former teacher and no children of her own, took me as hers and showed me the ropes of teaching and the struggles of a poor child trying to climb the ladder alone.

Riaz hopes to complete his Doctorate in Education and International Development. He said that he would use the knowledge acquired to revamped and retool the education sector in Guyana.