Vieux Fort Female Makes History In Cadet Corps

The Saint Lucia Cadet Corps, a para-military organisation, is celebrating 95 years of existence, and a woman has made history in its ranks. She is the first female Regimental Sergeant Major, ranked as Warrant Officer Class 1. Her name is Jeanelle Harris, from Belle Vue, Vieux Fort. Harris, who is marking 25 years with the Saint Lucia Cadet Corps and is a teacher at the Belle Vue Combined School, took us back to when she joined the organisation. “I joined the Saint Lucia Cadet Corps in 1999 as a student of Campus A, Vieux Fort,” Harris recalled. “While there were some women at the time, there seemed to be a lot of stigma associated with women joining the organisation. I would have some people say to me, ‘What a girl like you doing in cadets?’ But I was never deterred and I know that this organisation has served me well as an individual, building on my character, confidence and self-discipline,” she expressed. Harris said the Cadet Corps has also allowed her to serve her community and country at various levels. She noted that becoming the first female Regimental Sergeant is an honour “I feel quite elated and I am very...