Former UG lecturer, humanitarian, and Apostle Dr. Valarie Goorasammy-Smith is a ‘Special Person’

Jul 06, 2025 Features / Columnists, News, Special Person

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…A lifetime devoted to education, service, and her faith

Kaieteur News – Teaching others, is not just a career, it’s a sacred calling. It’s about shaping minds, instilling values, and building better citizens for tomorrow.

While countless educators in Guyana have contributed to the nation’s academic wellbeing, Dr. Valarie Goorasammy-Smith stands a unique figure having an unblemished record of selflessly serving in the education sector and moulding minds of many leaders in their respective disciplines.

For over 47 years, Dr. Goorasammy-Smith has dedicated her time and efforts to the field of education, impacting generations with passion, persistence, and profound conviction.

The retired lecturer from the University of Guyana, humanitarian and Apostle hails from a humble village in Bath, Mahaicony where she said her humble beginnings helped to shape her value system and carve out a life devoted to the service of others.

Dr. Goorasammy-Smith’s career and faith have led her to classrooms and pulpits across the globe, where her life is a shining example of what can be achieved when passion, perseverance, and faith converge.

This week’s Special Person is more than an educator. She is a nation-builder, a mentor, a spiritual leader, and a voice for the voiceless.

Dr. Goorasammy-Smith’s contributions have been recognized with numerous accolades, including two-time Interfaculty Debate Champion at the University of Guyana; Victories in international debating competitions (New York, Jamaica, U.S. Virgin Islands), University Council Award (1997) for outstanding campus involvement.

She also holds an Honorary Doctorate in Theology (Delaware, USA) and has been Chief Judge of the Speaker’s National Debating Competition in Parliament for the past five years.

In time to come, her legacy will be a testament of her continued impact on the institutions and ministries, which she has built from the ground up.

EARLY LIFE

Born on June 30, 1959, at her parents’ home in Bath, Mahaicony, on the East Coast of Demerara, Dr. Goorasammy-Smith was raised in a modest yet nurturing household.

Her father, Ramersamy Goorasammy, worked as a farmer and cattle dealer, while her mother, Rosaline Goorasammy, was a housewife and skilled seamstress.

She was one of eight siblings, though she alone remained in Guyana, a decision, which she made early in life, convinced she was meant to serve her homeland. “I believed from a very early age that I was born to serve my country and to be a teacher,” she recalls.

At just 17, Goorasammy left her village, having earned her GCE O-Level certificates from Mahaicony Secondary School, and moved to New Amsterdam, where she began her teaching career at the primary level.

After three years, she recognized her true calling lie with older students and pursued a double major in English and Mathematics at the Lilian Dewar College of Education.

“After teaching for three years in the primary school, I knew that I do not have the urge to teach the little ones! I knew deep in my heart that my preference was to teach secondary school children,” she said.

CAREER

From primary schools to the University lecture halls, Dr. Goorasammy-Smith’s impact has spanned the full spectrum of the education sector in Guyana. She joined the workforce at the University of Guyana (UG) in 1999, where she taught for twenty years until her retirement in 2019.

She told The Waterfalls “I lectured at UG in the Faculty of Arts for 20 years.” During her time at UG, Dr. Goorasammy-Smith was known for offering students voluntary grammar and writing classes.

“I would host them at my home for free. Many students from various faculties including law and sciences benefitted from those classes,” she recalled.

Today, the impact and gratitude for her effort extend far beyond UG, with some students even surprising her on her international travel.

“I’ve been greeted in Germany, New York, London, Trinidad, Antigua, and other places with remarks like ‘Miss Goorasammy, you taught me at UG!’” she shared warmly. “Those moments are always cherished,” she added.

The seasoned educator is renowned for guiding students from the brink of failure to outstanding success, grounded in her deep belief that every child has potential, no matter their starting point.

To that end, Dr. Goorasammy-Smith holds these words as a personal mantra, “Never give up on any child,” she said “It is a philosophy I have lived by.”

FAITH AND FAMILY

Though her life today is what many would describe as a shining example Dr. Goorasammy-Smith’s path hasn’t been easy. She recalled that at one point in her life, she was a single mother to sons, Gregory and Fabian Shaw.

She endured domestic violence, financial hardship, even homelessness, and rejection. Yet, through it all, she remained grounded in her faith in God.

“I managed to keep my boys in the light of God by never allowing them to know the true depths of our suffering,” she shared.

Despite those hardships, she graduated from the University of Guyana with distinction, represented the institution in national and international debating competitions, and secured a better life for her family. Today, both of her biological sons are successful businessmen in Guyana, as is her adopted son, Seon Darlington.

“There are times when it was overwhelming but I have learnt over the years to take necessary breaks before I experience any ‘crash’! My boys are overly grateful for all the sacrifices I have made to bring us where we are today,” she said.

HUMANITARIAN

A humanitarian at heart, Dr. Goorasammy-Smith donates to help those in need at least three times a year.

“The humanitarian work extends to various parts of Guyana, even in the US and Canada. I give out school supplies to 200 to 300 students annually.”

Added to this, Dr. Goorasammy-Smith is the Director and Founder of Goorasammy Royal College, an institution borne out of service, faith, and an unwavering desire to uplift the nation’s children.

After over 15 years of running after-school lessons, she was encouraged by parents and her faith, to open her own school. In 2007, Dr. Goorasammy-Smith launched Berea Royal College International, which was later rebranded as Goorasammy Royal College after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Registered with the Ministry of Education, the school caters to children from nursery to secondary levels and prepares them for both national and regional examinations.

“I intend to continue nurturing all children with learning needs. We are equipped and ready to take your child and nurture them into becoming children of excellence,” she proudly affirmed.

Adding to the Academy, Dr. Goorasammy-Smith is also the founder of Mastering the Art of Public Speaking (MAPS), a powerful oratory programme that has trained 18 batches of students. Its alumni include doctors, parliamentarians, teachers, media professionals, and even housewives, all of whom are now using their voices to impact lives across the globe.

APOSTLE

Beyond education, Dr. Goorasammy-Smith has answered a higher spiritual calling. She is the Apostle and founder of Graceful Church without Walls, a ministry that spans Guyana, the USA, Canada, India, and the Caribbean. With a following of over 150 members and 14 spiritual leaders, she continues to shepherd others in their faith journey.  As part of her Ministry, Dr. Goorasammy-Smith also offers marriage and youth counselling services.

Balancing ministry and professional commitments have not always been easy, but she credits divine wisdom and the guidance of the Holy Spirit for sustaining her.

When asked about her greatest achievement, she said, “My greatest achievement is to have served as an educator in Guyana for 47+ years and I was never tempted even great persuasion came to teach in countries abroad for far greater remuneration. I remained faithful to serve my country regardless of the financial challenges.”

She continued, “My sons are all successful in their respective businesses and I am filled with great joy to see how God has brought us out of poverty and has blessed us to the point where we are able to bless others.”

Each year, the family provides scholarships to students in need, both at her school and through the MAPS programme, fulfilling her lifelong mission of empowering others.

LOOKING AHEAD

And though her résumé is already extraordinary, Dr. Goorasammy-Smith shows no signs of slowing down. She plans to expand Goorasammy Royal College, grow the MAPS programme, and extend her ministry internationally.

Her mission remains clear: To serve, to uplift, and to empower.

To young educators, she offers wise counsel: “Teaching is not just a job, it’s a calling. Believe in every child, especially those who seem hardest to reach. And never stop growing yourself.”

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• humanitarian, Mahaicony, Special Person, UG lecturer, Valarie Goorasammy-Smith

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