‘Not just Kartel’s sister’ - JTA presidential hopeful Mullings-Nelson says her work speaks for itself

From studying under a streetlight during her early days at The Mico University College to leading educational transformation across Jamaica, Dr Maureen Mullings-Nelson is a living testament to overcoming adversity.

She faced early setbacks, including failing her Common Entrance examination - the primary school exit test of that era - and enduring deep personal loss.

Growing up with limited means, Mullings-Nelson vividly remembers the lengths she had to go to just to keep up with her college studies. With no electricity at home and barely enough resources to get by, she found her place of learning under a streetlight in her neighbour's yard.

"Mr Crawford, I can't forget his name, he lived alone and his house was in the corner where the light post is. I sat on his verandah, and that's where I studied in the night," she said. Those nights, with her books spread out before her, became symbolic of her determination.

"People may think yuh rich now, but my life was sitting under the streetlight studying my book in the nights."

As a young student at Mico, she faced ridicule, one student openly questioning whether she had any clothes to wear.

"I never have it, I never live on campus, and I never have enough clothes including good underwear. I'm not ashamed to say it," she said. Despite her challenges, her faith in God remained strong, and "this story is undergirded by God and what He has done and what He can do".

Now a veteran educator with 33 years of service, she is running for president of the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) for the 2025-2026 term. She joins La Sonja Harrison and Jermaine Williams in vying for JTA president-elect for the conference year 2025-2026.

Mullings-Nelson campaign gained widespread recognition after her brother, Vybz Kartel, endorsed her on Instagram.

"... I am not the only teacher in the family," he said while encouraging teachers to read her manifesto and support her in the upcoming elections.

While grateful for the nod from her famous sibling, Mullings-Nelson was quick to note that her track record speaks volumes.

"I am his sibling. Some things are just your reality and my reality is that Adidja is my brother," she told THE WEEKEND STAR. "To me, it's just a sibling endorsing another sibling, it just happens that the sibling is Vybz Kartel."

"I've been doing the work," she said. "This is just the next step." For Mullings-Nelson, teaching began with a deep, personal commitment.

"I tell people that I will teach anything I get, or I see. I taught my siblings; I will teach the wall. Anything I see, I teach and that's how I knew I wanted to be a teacher from a very early age," she explained. Her resolve was solidified by certain moments that reshaped lives.

"It was about 1993 when my grade nine student became pregnant. I was asked by the administration to get rid of her. I think what I did shocked me because I took the student under my wings, took her to Women's Centre, sent the notes home to her, and I secretly registered her for the exam," she recalled.

"This is what I want my life to be about, making an impact and changing and helping people."

Mullings-Nelson's dedication goes far beyond classroom teaching. As vice principal at Cumberland High School, she introduced interventions that addressed students' academic and personal needs. She launched breakfast programmes by cooking porridge and fritters, with support from various companies, to ensure students started the day nourished. She also led performance arts initiatives, channelling the energy of even the most disruptive students into creative expression.

"Performing arts is a huge part of what I do. I was the head of the performing arts [department] for about a year and a half, and I utilised the arts as an intervention," she shared. She also mentors fellow educators.

"Teachers who are in the system for a number of years and are not sure what to do, I always encourage them to become a member of the JTA; I guide them and help them," she added.

Mullings-Nelson is working to redefine education financing and support. One of her manifesto items in her presidential campaign is for schools to receive payment or resources based on their needs and not on the number of students attending the institutions. This approach would, for instance, support nutritional programmes, enhanced special education, and tailored teacher training initiatives.

As a training placement officer at Mico and president of the Mico Staff Association, Mullings-Nelson continues to champion change.

"I am an advocate, an educator for 33 years. I see myself as Moses in the desert stepping forward now and saying, 'Yes I am ready for this, I've been doing it,'" she declared.