[dropcap]W[/dropcap]ith a heavy heart, the St. Mary’s College Class of 2008 wishes to send its deepest condolences to the grieving family and friends of Botham Jean, who tragically lost his life as a result of a police shooting on the night of September 6th, 2018.
The recent uptick in police shootings of unarmed civilians in the United States is a truly harrowing phenomenon. While the way in which individuals like Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner and Stephon Clark have met their demise at the hands of police officers is deeply saddening, it is easy to mentally compartmentalize these events as “American” incidents. It becomes an almost surreal experience, however, when the latest victim is a well-known son of the soil.
Botham entered St. Mary’s in 2003 as an eager Form One student and went on to become an enigmatic member of the student body over the next five years. His jovial nature and distinctive laugh were backed by a truly multi-faceted personality, as he dabbled in almost everything the school had to offer – from basketball and cricket to music and performing at the annual “TalFest” show. In addition to being a prolific member of the Debate Society and the President of the Young Leaders club, his exemplary conduct made him a shoe-in to be selected as a school prefect in Form Five.
After graduating from St. Mary’s in 2008, he went to the “A Level” Division of the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College and subsequently furthered his education at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas. While there, he attained a Bachelor’s in Business Administration, Accounting and Management Information Systems and continued to exude leadership as he was heavily involved in student-government affairs, becoming arguably one of the most popular students on campus. After graduating in 2016, he worked in Risk Assurance at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Dallas, Texas, which would be his final place of residence.
Outside of his scholastic and professional accomplishments, it would be remiss not to mention the fundamental role that the Church of Christ and the choir played in Botham’s life. He was a deeply devoted Christian whose powerful voice was so impressive that he was selected each year to sing at his church’s Caribbean Lecture series. He will be dearly missed by the congregations he was a part of and the youth groups he motivated in Searcy, in Dallas and at home in St. Lucia.
It has been very difficult for the Class of 2008 to come to terms with Botham’s passing and it is further compounded by the fact that it was not a case of him “being in the wrong place at the wrong time” – he was at his apartment when tragedy struck. As we await the outcome of the investigation, we are still trying to process exactly what could have transpired and sincerely hope that he will achieve posthumous justice. In the interim, we will focus our attention on the enduring memories and bonds Botham was able to create by deeply intertwining himself in the fabric of the Class of 2008.
The mantra, “step together, play the game”, is firmly inculcated within the psyche of every Samarian. In the true spirit of St. Mary’s, although he will no longer be able to “play the game”, the indelible impact he had on the lives of those he touched will surely influence and inspire many to follow in the footsteps he left behind.
May his soul rest in perfect peace.
Signed: The St. Mary’s College Class of 2008
— Source: Trent St. Rose, SMC Class of 2008 Valedictorian
