RICARDO P. DEVEAUX: MEET THE CREATOR OF EDUCATION SPOTLIGHT
NASSAU, Bahamas — Ricardo P. Deveaux has been associated with the promotion and encouragement of academic excellence for many years. He is a graduate of Bethune-Cookman University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology with Honours. During his Senior year at Bethune-Cookman, he was the third Bahamian elected to serve as President of the Student Government Association, for the 2,300 members of the Student body. While at Bethune, He was selected as Most Outstanding Freshman, Most Outstanding Sophomore, Most Outstanding Junior and Most Outstanding Senior.
He attended Nova Southeastern University where he graduated with a Master of Science Degree in Human Services with a specialization in Human Resources Management. While a graduate student at Nova, he was elected as the Resident Student Association President. In April 1992, he was selected as ONE of only seven finalists in the Florida College Student of the Year Awards Program. He was the ONLY male to make it to the finals in 1992. He was also the first student from Nova Southeastern University to make it to the finals. He was recognized by Nova Southeastern University as the Student with the Most School Spirit Award and having an award named in his honour by the Office of the Residential Life.
Ricardo returned to The Bahamas in 1992 and commenced employment with the Ministry of Education. He rose through the ranks in the Public Service to his current position of First Assistant Secretary with the Ministry of Labour.
In 1993, yearning to impact his community, Ricardo was appointed to the Education Committee of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Iota Epsilon Lambda Chapter and between 1993 – 2007, he served as Co-Chair (1993, 1994, 1995); Chairman (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004 – 2007) and Member (2008 – 2018), Honours Day Committee, producing the Fraternity’s Honours Day Convocation which recognized the top graduating high school males in The Bahamas since 1987.
In 1996, He was instrumental in the establishment of the Bahamas Primary School Student of the Year Awards Program, a premier national awards recognition for primary school students. Between 1997 – 2004, he served as Committee Chairman or Co-Chairman, Bahamas Primary School Student of the Year Awards Committee. In June 2004, when the Bahamas Primary School Student of the Year Awards Foundation, a voluntary non-profit organization, was created to govern the affairs of the Awards Program, he served as its Founding Chairman. In 2005, he was elected as the Foundation’s President & CEO, a position he continues to hold. Under his leadership, The Bahamas Primary School Student of the Year Foundation have recognized over 2,400 of the BEST and BRIGHTEST primary school students and presented over $1.5 MILLION DOLLARS worth of scholarships and prizes.
In May 2009, at the age of 43, he became one of the YOUNGEST individuals and only the second Bahamian to deliver the coveted Commencement Address at Bethune-Cookman University. He was awarded an HONOURARY Doctorate of Humane Letters. In 2010, he was appointed as a Member of the Associate Board of Trustees, Bethune-Cookman University.
In July 2016, Ricardo was a Finalists for the Bahamian Icon Award in the area of Youth Development. He was recognized for his work with the Bahamas Primary School Student of the Year Awards Program.
You can therefore say that Ricardo is truly committed to encouraging, motivating and inspiring students to accomplish academic greatness.
Ironically, June 1983, The “comfort zone” of Ricardo P. Deveaux’s world came crushing down. It was during this time that Edward & Beverly Deveaux received a letter from one of the premier private high schools in The Bahamas advising them that due to their son’s failing grades, he would be required to withdraw from the school. He had received three F’s and two D’s and had already repeated the eighth grade two years earlier. Left with limited options, his parents sought to enroll him into another private institution. HOWEVER, NO OTHER private school at the time would accept him, therefore, he was required to enroll into a public school. As it turned out, R. M. Bailey Senior High School became the institution that would give this broken young man, a second chance.
None of Ricardo’s friends, not even his best friends, knew that he was actually an academic failure and had flunked out of high school. It wasn’t until November 1993 that he admitted that he flunked out of high school to a group of students at H. O. Nash Secondary School. It wasn’t until November 2008 that he was able to publicly give his personal testimony on a popular television show – DARE TO BE GREAT – with host Spence “Master Motivator” Finlayson. Ricardo admitted that this was a great day for him, he actually felt FREE of the bondage of believing that he was not good and smart enough.
Ricardo is now on a campaign to let individuals know that “If you get knock down, once you are alive, you are not knocked out”. He now speaks to colleges, schools and churches, encouraging young people that all is not lost and that “Failure is only a temporary setback for a glorious comeback”.
Can you imagine, an individual who flunked out of school in 1983, today, heads an organization to encourage academic excellence? In addition, he serves as Chairman of The School Board for R. M. Bailey Senior High School, the school which gave him his second chance and Vice-President of the Parents Teachers Association of Queen’s College.
This is the story of Ricardo P. Deveaux.
To learn more about Ricardo:
