Stepping into one of the most high-profile roles for young leadership in Saint Lucia, newly installed president of the Saint Lucia National Youth Council (NYC) Bernell St Rose is defying expectations with a remarkable level of poise, even when others expect her to feel overwhelmed by the weight of the role.
When reflecting on the pressure of the presidency, St Rose downplays the stress, noting that her experience competing as a Carnival Queen contestant in 2023 brought far more pressure than leading the nation’s peak youth body. That calm, she suggests, was forged not only during her pageant run but also through her prior tenure leading the Soufrière Youth and Sports Council, where she cut her teeth on grassroots youth work.
Two months into her term, St Rose has already mapped out the urgent challenges that demand her executive’s attention, against a backdrop of growing systemic hardships facing young Saint Lucians: soaring living costs, unpredictable employment markets, restricted access to startup capital, and rising social instability. Most critically, she acknowledges that the NYC has lost the trust of young people across the island in recent years, a gap she is determined to close.
Her core mission, she outlined in an interview with local publication St Lucia Times, is to rebuild public pride and trust in the organisation as a credible representative body that listens to young people’s needs and delivers tangible solutions. “Honestly, my journey has been eye-opening, to say the least, but also rewarding,” St Rose told the outlet. “I came in knowing what the challenges of NYC were, and knowing the extent of work and time that would have to be invested into NYC to make it what it’s supposed to be.”
Among the most pressing issues is the widespread disengagement of young people from civic and community life, including the declining culture of volunteerism across the country. Another top priority is addressing the escalating mental health crisis among Saint Lucia’s youth: the council plans to create dedicated safe, supportive spaces where young people can grow without fear of judgment, surrounded by positive reinforcement to counter the widespread negative narratives impacting the nation.
St Rose also flagged that strengthening student councils across all Saint Lucian schools will be a central pillar of her administration’s work. Truancy and falling youth participation in school governance have already been flagged as national concerns by Education Minister Kenson Casimir and Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre. To address this gap, the NYC has already opened formal discussions with the Ministry of Education, and is preparing for a national tour of schools in May to embed stronger, more effective student leadership structures. “We understand that we need to meet young people where they are, and where they are right now is at school,” St Rose explained.
Past iterations of the NYC executive have drawn criticism for losing momentum and failing to deliver on campaign promises after the first year in office. But St Rose says her administration will chart a different path, pointing to her proven track record of delivering results at the Soufrière Youth and Sports Council, as well as new partnerships with the Saint Lucian private sector to support youth programs across financial literacy, sports, and advocacy.
“We’re here on a whole new plane, with a whole different perspective, in just re-energising and revitalising the youth space in Saint Lucia,” she said.
Far from being intimidated by the high expectations placed on her leadership, St Rose remains completely unfazed. This is not because she underestimates the scale of the work ahead, but because she entered the role with full awareness of what it would demand, and is confident she has the preparation and drive to deliver on her promises. “I know what I came into,” she said. “I feel confident being at the helm that I can do what I was set out to do.”