Trinidad and Tobago-born retired professor offers free communication workshops

Due to an overwhelmingly positive response, registration for the workshops have been closed for this year. Kindly email jopierre55@gmail.com in January 2025 if you wish to register for next year's intake.

Trinidad and Tobago-born Joan Pierre understands the importance of communication, presentation and leadership skills in any sphere in life, and is willing to share her expertise in these areas to anyone in Trinidad and Tobago, at no cost.

Although Pierre is a retired professor, she still lectures part-time at Long Island University in New York and teaches online graduate classes in managerial communication, career planning, making effective presentation, online branding and project management. She is also vice chair on the Board for the non-profit organisation The Arts & Public Speaking.

“I also deliver workshops on communication, presentation and leadership skills which are essential and vital tools for an individual success,” she told WMN in a Zoom interview.

“For the past three years I was given the opportunity to deliver these workshops at the University of the West Indies to the post-grad students for a few sessions, and it was very successful. I feel there is a need to further deliver these types of workshops throughout the various level of educational institutions.”

Pierre believes if these skills are learned from an early age, students would be much more successful as they enter the different phases of their lives – academic and otherwise.

“I have also worked with students who are five and six years old here in the US,” and she has seen the benefits and is willing to give students in TT the opportunity to learn these skills.

“I am willing to volunteer my services to any educational institute, business and individuals in TT to host online workshops for free,” as a way of giving back to her country.

Pierre is originally from Techier Village, Point Fortin. She attended Vessigny College and Swan’s Secretarial School before migrating to the US in 1980.

“Opportunities for employment in TT was not promising for me at that time.”

Having always had an end goal in mind, she said she made the necessary sacrifices to achieve it.

While working, she did a first and second degree in public administration, “And I have also obtained a certificate in public speaking from Distinguished Toastmasters, ” a non-profit educational organisation that helps builds confidence and teaches public speaking skills. Its worldwide network of clubs has over 270,000 members in 148 countries.

Pierre is a mother of two, and said during her work in corporate and higher education, her experience was a huge incentive in her professional and leadership development. And the hard work she put into building her life also served as an example to her sons.

“I have always been a very determined, confident, proactive and versatile. These qualities enhanced my desire to acquire the knowledge and skills I have.”

She believes learning is a life-long process and as environments change, it is imperative that people improve their knowledge regardless of what they do so they can adapt to those changes.

“Especially as we all know how social media and technology have played a role in diminishing our natural skills.”

Her husband is also retired, her sons are grown professionals and Pierre said she is content with life, especially as she gets to take regular walks by the beach and spend a lot of time with her grandson. But, her desire to give back to the country of her birth continues to tug at her heart.

“I am hoping that people will take me up on my offer. It is very important for us all to strengthen, collaborate, unite and work together for humanity to prosper. I have a motto I follow whenever I take on any task . I call it CDC – confidence, determination and consistency.”

Anyone interested in Joan Pierre’s communication, presentation and leadership skills workshops can email jopierre55@gmail.com