WHO IS SABRINA SYMS TURNER NEE FENNELL?

Daughter of Kathleen Maria Syms Smith AKA (Kay) and Former Police Inspector Evon Parks, maternal granddaughter of Senovia Scott Syms from Spot Bay Cayman Brac and George Hewitt Syms born in Bluefields, Nicaragua.

I grew up on Elgin Ave, in the business district of George Town, opposite the Central Police Station and immediately behind the Latter-Day Saints Church.
Many influential and well-respected families lived in this area. Growing up in the Syms family with my mother and maternal grandparents in the robust, united GT community. I learned to believe in myself, be balanced, confident, self-motivated, and work hard to succeed. Education was influential in the Syms family. So, on leaving school in 1990, I was determined to get a profession.

NURSE
It gives me great satisfaction to help people, and naturally, I was drawn to the nursing profession. I had the opportunity to start my journey as a summer intern at George Town Hospital. Shortly after, I was employed as a Nursing Assistant and completed the Nursing Assistant Course and studied to become a Licensed Practical Nurse. I graduated from the Cayman Islands School of Nursing Class of 1993 and was the Valedictorian of my class; this was a very proud moment for me as a young Caymanian.

IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT
After working as a nurse for some years, I felt the need to broaden my horizon. In August 1994, I transferred to the Immigration Department as a Junior Immigration Officer. I found this profession extremely interesting because I love people, and this allowed me to offer my services to assist them in the best way I could. Rendering my assistance and solving problems for my daily customers was a joy for me.

I found myself working a lot with the immigration law and supported various sections of the Department. In 2004 I was appointed by the Governor in Cabinet as Assistant Secretary of the Caymanian Status & Permanent Residency Board Secretariat, managing three staff members.

BUSINESS OWNER/ENTREPRENEUR
Growing up in the Syms and Scott families, I had great examples of self-employed family members, landowners, music teachers, and entrepreneurs. This inspired and motivated me to aspire to have my own business. The idea of being an entrepreneur has been a dream since I was a young child; I believed that I would be the CEO of my own company one day. I found my passion for working in the Immigration field and manoeuvring the Cayman Islands law. All arrows pointed to an immigration consultancy agency. I took my time and researched the demand for immigration services on the Island. There was no doubt, my wealth of knowledge and extensive experience concerning Immigration laws, policies, and procedures; I would be an asset to my Cayman community. I decided to open an Immigration Consulting business, and while speaking with friends and co-workers, they were saddened by my departure from the Immigration Department but encouraged and supported me in my new endeavour.

On Monday, April 3, 2006, with only CI$1,500 in my pocket, I opened my business: Cayman Immigration Consultant Services. My company has grown exponentially since then and now employs four people besides myself. I must give thanks to my family, good friends, and the late Mr Kent Rankine and his sons Paul, Gary, Kenny, Albert and David, my landlords, who have encouraged and supported me through the years.

Wanting to be financially independent, I’ve always strived to be focused, organised and be self-motivated in my professional and personal life. Being a self-made businesswoman, mother, wife, and community leader, I prioritised and managed my time wisely.  I found that my caring attitude, listening, and problem-solving skills, paired with critical thinking, were assets to my business. These skills helped me manage my home as a wife, raise my two extraordinary sons, and has shaped me into who I am today.

COMMUNITY ORGANISER
I am a resident of the “Prospect Park”, now known as the Prospect and Red Bay Electoral Districts, for over 16 years. Being a community-minded person and seeing my community’s needs, I decided to become involved in community activities. We started with Earth Day
clean-ups, Christmas events and have grown into the Prospect Red Bay Community (PRBC) Group that we now have today.

Under my leadership, the group has developed cohesive working relationships with stakeholders such as RCIPS, Cayman Islands Hazard Management, DEH, NRA, PWD, Planning Department, Cayman Islands Red Cross, Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce, and much more. We addressed traffic, crime, derelict vehicles, hazards in the community and have developed a community emergency plan in the instance of a natural disaster, to name a few. We continue to address these issues while reuniting owners with their lost pets.

We started a WhatsApp chat group for the Prospect and Red Bay area as a neighbourhood watch. It has grown to over 600 members (renters and homeowners alike) and now has embraced a sense of community where we now know who our neighbours are. Monthly meetings are held, and we invite the elected representatives for Prospect and Red Bay to address issues affecting residents. This innovative approach has allowed more significant engagement with our elected representatives, which has benefitted our community. I have worked with this community group as their leader for five years; we have built Prospect into a real community with neighbours looking out for each other.

Under my leadership, the PRBC group became a registered NPO. We also became involved in the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) programme. This programme enabled our residents to train in several disaster management skills. We entered and won CERT challenges for three years straight. The money we won helped us buy security alarms for older residents. Working with the Red Bay Elected Representative, we achieved our dream of getting a community park.

I want to use all my life experience and refined skills to benefit my Prospect community as we work to elevate our country in these unprecedented times.

I want to represent you in the House of Parliament.
I want to be your Voice, your Hope, and your Choice.