As
an only child, Natasha Mortley had a very vivid imagination.
She
saw herself skirting the double role of lawyer and model; a legal catwalk
apparently. But that was just a bright little girl entertaining herself in the
absence of other siblings. She was not lonely though – her Sans Souci
home-ground was teeming with friendly neighbours and childhood friends.
“So
although I had no brothers, sisters or cousins at home, I did have many
friends. I have always been a ring leader, never been a follower and that
applied to both home and school. Some would say I was very a “ana-faire” child.”
Natasha
attended Canon Laurie Anglican, St. Joseph’s Convent and finally A Level
College. As she grew older, she says she relinquished the idea of modelling but
still had a desire to pursue the legal profession. That lingering dream didn’t
quite work out. But from an early age, Mortley knew she was headed for higher
learning.
“My
grand dad was a school master and he instilled the value of education in me
from very, very early. I got a government scholarship and went to UWI, St
Augustine Trinidad to pursue my BSc in Sociology. I decided to go to Trinidad
because I didn’t want to be too far away from home. I chose Sociology because I loved the subject
and thought it would be a great start and foundation for doing Law. Once I completed that degree, I knew I had
to move on to the next and the next and so I found that I wasn’t quite ready to
return home until I had gone all the way.”
Life
at university was one of balance. “I partied hard, was involved in several
clubs and University activities and I studied hard. I was President of The
Dance Theatre, President of the St. Lucian Students Association in T&T and
Faculty Representative for my faculty. I was part of the movement and first
ever UWI Carnival at St Augustine.”
Dr.
Mortley’s specialty is International Development. Her decision to go into this
area was prompted by her own recognition at the time, that it, was the hot
topic in the Sociology dialogue and high up on the agenda of all developing
country governments. She thought that by specializing in International
Development, she could become a government consultant.
It
was at that point she decided that maybe the study of Law could be put on hold
for the time being.
The
rest, as the saying goes is history. Mortley is currently a Research Fellow at
UWI Mona. She manages a project on building capacity for global health
research. The project is funded by the International Development Research
Centre, Canada and is based at Mona. The good doctor also finds time to do some
lecturing in Sociology and Research Methods.
She
is a published author, having written the book “St. Lucian Women On The Move”.
“St
Lucian Women on The Move was my MPhil thesis. I was approached by a publisher
in Europe to publish it as a book and so I did. You will find therefore that
the book is very academic in nature.”
To
date, Dr. Mortley says her greatest achievement is her attainment of her
doctorate. ”A very close second would be
my being one of the top five finalists at the Global Development Network Awards
for Research in Prague in 2010. I was the only finalist from the Caribbean.”
She
gets to come home at least twice year, but the prohibitive cost of travelling
out of Jamaica to St. Lucia is what prevents more frequent visits to the
island. A permanent stay in her homeland would be a desired situation but she
feels the timing is not quite right. “There are still many things that I want
to accomplish and to do before returning home. When I return home I want to be
able to give of my very best to my country and also to work for myself.”
So
what does a doctor at the top of her class do in her spare time? “Dance, read,
and carnival which I love. I also enjoy dining out with my small circle of very
good friends. I also maintain an online book club and a blog on “Dos and Don’t
s both of which are quite vibrant and fun.”
OLT
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