INTRODUCTION

Hi I am Shanice Davis,

Through this blog, I will be keeping APANY members and friends of Anguilla up to date with the association's progress and the development of the Anguilla Diaspora Alliance. I believe it is vitally important for Anguillians home and abroad to stay connected and informed so I am excited to track the success of this project.

I encourage you to check back regularly for more news but more importantly to get involved!

Year after year, I watched my family members bring out their best suits and dresses to attend APANY's annual Anguilla Dinner Dance, an event that connects Anguillians throughout the diaspora.

This year was no different except I would also be in attendance. It felt like a rite-of-passage to be surrounded by notable figures etched in Anguilla's history, including Chief Minister Hubert Hughes, and although I glanced upon many faces I had never seen before, I did not feel like I was amidst strangers. I shared something beautiful in common with all of them: Anguilla.

At a young age I came to understand that Anguilla was home. Thanks to my parents, I always carried an intense pride for my culture. While I will always acknowledge New York as my birthplace and hometown, Anguilla is the home of those who opened doors for me to have the opportunities that I do today, and I don't take that lightly.

This fall, I am entering my junior year at Howard University, where I am pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in English. I also have the pleasure of serving as the 2014-2015 Executive Secretary of the Howard University Caribbean Students Association. Throughout my college experience thus far, I've developed powerful relationships with young men and women hailing from all parts of the Caribbean. For many of them, I am the only Anguillian face they know. As a result, I've been committed to enlightening others about Anguilla whenever I have the opportunity to do so.

Needless to say, I am thrilled to serve as a volunteer to APANY as Public Relations Ambassador. This door opened to me after attending this year's Dinner Dance, where I also won a sponsored trip to travel to Anguilla for its 40th summer festival celebration. I think it's safe to say I got the full experience and couldn't have picked a better year to attend!

Between work and school, it has not been easy to plan trips to Anguilla so I am incredibly grateful to BE Travel Consultants LLC for arranging this trip on my behalf and Anacaona Boutique Hotel for providing accommodations so that I can feel like a tourist for a couple of days.

#photo #apany