The man with the untameable spirit

One man, many dimensions. One man, multiple talents. One man, immeasurable drive. I sat down with father, brother, son, teacher, entrepreneur, politician, Clement Marcellin Jr. to discover what really makes him tick.

How it all began…

Clement comes from a solid family. His parents, who’ve been married for 38 years and who he referred to lovingly countless times throughout the interview, are the real foundation of the family. He is the second child of the four children his parents share. He speaks proudly of his siblings and growing up with them, and with equal pride, he reflects on growing up in Penville. He believes the atmosphere of village life, the support and guidance of those in the community honed his character and cultured his level of independence and ability to take risks.

The character he describes is one able of surviving with the most basic amenities at one’s disposal. Clement attended the Penville Primary School and although by Grade 7 he was under the direct tutelage of his mom, a 40+ year veteran in the teaching business, he comically recalls that he would say “school is for fools.” Clement recalls skipping afternoon classes in Grade 7 and even when his mom thought he surely would not pass the Common Entrance exams, emerging successful, much to her surprise. His father, who had cautioned him the night before the exams, was the instigator behind his flare for independence and not wanting to be bogged down in the classroom. He taught Clement to drive as a young boy and by the age of 10, he could already drive to school, just tall enough to see above the steering wheel! His father encouraged him to do things outside of the norm and hold steadfastly to his own ideas..

School is for fools…?

Fast forward to post Common Entrance, Clement entered the Portsmouth Secondary School at the age of 11. Still holding on to a careless attitude about academic achievement, he got by without much studying but pure reliance on his ability to retain quickly once he heard something once. He focused his energy on sports, cricket being his sport of choice and whilst at PSS he played in the Under 15 team and subsequently the Under 19 team. Although he admits he wasn’t the most talented player, his persistence prevailed and to this day he plays for the village team and has served as the 2nd Vice President of the Dominica Cricket Association for the past 4 years. It was during his time at PSS that he developed a love for playing pool. He describes the time when the school received a pool table and a teacher, Mr. Sylvester, would challenge him in the game. His passion for the pool table cut deeply into his time for classes, and he ended up repeating fourth form. Clement reflects that this was a pivotal moment for him. When he was set to repeat, his mom insisted he picked up two additional CXC subjects and he finally took studying seriously. He blazed ahead to graduate from PSS with his 8 subjects and enroll at the then Clifton Dupigny Community College where he studied Biology and Geography. He initially wanted a career in marine biology but after college, he secured a job as a District Environmental Health Officer and his path was changed a bit. He proceeded to complete the certificate programme in Environmental Health at the Dominica State College in 2011 and completed a Bachelor’s degree in technical management with an emphasis on project management from DeVry University. He forged ahead later to earn his Master’s degree in project management from the Keller Graduate School of Management. From believing school was for fools, to now holding several degrees and lecturing both at the Dominica State College and at the University of the West Indies Open Campus, Clement’s dance with the academic realm seems far from over.

Professional kaleidoscope…

Many people would remember Clement for his work at the Environmental Health Department. He got his big break in 2004 to work as a District Environmental Health Officer after graduating from college. He attained the position of Senior Environmental Health Officer (Ag) by the age of 24, an age at which many in the public service are just getting their feet wet. He was already fully immersed. His specialty areas as a Senior Environmental Health Officer were vector control and waste management. Indeed, his expertise in vector control placed him at the forefront during vector-borne disease outbreaks such as the Chikungunya epidemic. He recalls his years in this position as priceless ones and speaks of vector control as one of his true passions. “The ever-changing dynamic of the field always leaves room to bring about meaningful solutions and it’s the joy of completion which is my high,” he told me.

Clement eventually transitioned out of his job at the Environmental Health Department to a job as a Business Development Officer at the Dominica Cooperative Societies League Ltd. He attributes much of the shaping of his professional life to his involvement with the Credit Union movement, having served as the Area Youth Rep for the Vielle Case Credit Union by the age of 20, a member of the credit supervisory committee by 21 and the chair of that committee by 22. But don’t make the mistake of envisioning Clement as a strictly long-sleeved shirt and tie kind of guy. Picture him in garden boots and a soiled tee-shirt working on the farm as well. He appreciatively speaks of farming as his source of income before he started working and still farms when he gets the chance. His entrepreneurial spirit goes beyond the field of agriculture and he’s currently building his own pest control business. Although he’s had many starts and stops in the business world, he continues to persevere, aptly guided by a Creole saying from his father which he translated for me as “Often the biggest game shows up when the hunter has packed his gear.” Clement is not packing up just yet.

Mister is a fearless guy!! …

It was in 2019 that Clement publicly stepped foot into the political arena. His motivation he says was a desire to contribute to his community and to do better than what exists. He has always been a community centered individual, recalling that he was a youth leader at church by the age of 16 and the PRO for Penville’s Ambitious Youth (PAY). His defeat at the polls in December 2019 has not daunted his spirits, nor his ambition. On the night of his loss he says he was the happiest man, congratulating those around him who were celebrating, much to their shock and gradual acceptance. He then assured me that many who saw how he accepted defeat realized they had made a mistake on the ballot! He maintains that he is not sour about the loss but will move forward to gain the requisite experience and represent people effectively in or out of power. When asked about the future of his political career, he said “You can’t limit yourself by thinking politics is a short stint.”

Religious? Or spiritual? …

His first political speech was nuanced with a pastor’s flair. As a Christian, he speaks of his firm and unwavering belief in the one true God and describes himself as having very deep faith. However, he does admit that religion can be divisive and that he tends to focus more on spirituality than religion. A man of diverse talents, he is an avid drummer, plays at church and has also made it his duty to ensure every young boy in the church learns to play the drums. All his siblings seem to be musically inclined. He speaks fondly of his sisters’ singing capabilities, joking that “I used to sing, until I heard my sisters sing!”

Girl dad…

Clement is in a unique position, a single-parent of a girl. He’s amazed by his 7 year old daughter’s capabilities, particularly relating to technology, shaking his head with the classic proud parent smile while he says “Children these days eh!” He takes his role as a parent seriously, mimicking to a large extent his own parents’ serious attitude toward parenthood. He admits to still being so close to his parents that he can go lie on their bed and talk and laugh, something I’m sure his daughter will also be able to do in her adult days.

Center of attention…

Now what about all those female fans that he has acquired since being on the public scene? Youth and good looks and the resulting compliments of the multitudes have not washed away Clement’s humility at all. He confesses he’s camera shy, resists photo ops and on the odd occasion he’s cajoled into taking a photo, he’s always shocked at the humongous feedback. He’s not a social media enthusiast but does like networking and meeting new people, and takes time to respond to those who engage him on his social media platforms.

The future…

So what’s next for this young man from Penville? Well, he plans to continue his life abiding by the words of Ecclesiastes 9:10 “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.” And indeed, from his life’s story thus far, Clement Marcellin Jr. has been doing everything he’s involved in with all his might. Honesty, patriotism and definitely humble ambition are the qualities which shone through when he said to me at the end that “whatever the future holds for me, Dominica is at the core of it.”