KINGSTON, Jamaica — At a small ceremonial gathering held at Kingston’s AC Hotel, multi-hyphenate Jamaican leader Dr Patricia Smith — a successful home care entrepreneur, hotel operator, and published author — officially gifted a signed copy of her latest work *I Persist* to Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett. The event unfolded on the margins of a cross-sector convening that brought together top stakeholders from Jamaica’s tourism, education, and business industries, all gathered to exchange ideas around building greater resilience and driving innovation across the country’s key service sectors.
In her remarks during the presentation, Dr Smith outlined the core mission that drove her to write *I Persist*. The book was crafted as a source of encouragement for Jamaicans across all walks of life, she explained, with a special focus on uplifting women who grew up in state-run care institutions, as well as any person who has navigated the devastating challenges of homelessness and hopelessness. Its core message is simple: to urge readers to stay unshakable in the face of hardship, and to build every part of their lives around clear, intentional purpose.
Dr Smith went on to frame Minister Bartlett himself as a living example of the persistence her book celebrates. From leading Jamaica’s tourism sector through repeated global crises to advocating tirelessly for the country as a top-tier travel destination on the international stage, Bartlett’s decades-long career embodies the very spirit at the heart of *I Persist*, she said. Dr Smith shared that her hope is the book will strike a chord with every Jamaican who is dedicated to building a more robust, prosperous nation for all.
Minister Bartlett accepted the gift with gratitude, emphasizing that the values of resilience and endurance that *I Persist* explores lie at the center of Jamaica’s strategy for tourism recovery and long-term growth. He reflected on the repeated shocks the sector has absorbed over recent years: devastating hurricanes, the global COVID-19 pandemic, and ongoing geopolitical instability that has reshaped international travel. Through every challenge, Bartlett noted, Jamaica’s tourism industry has persisted, adapted, and reimagined itself — and that ability to bounce back is the very reason the country remains one of the most sought-after Caribbean destinations for travelers worldwide. He thanked Dr Smith for the thoughtful gesture and for her contribution to the growing national conversation about what it means to lead with endurance.
Beyond its motivational message, *I Persist* digs into interconnected themes of personal resilience, overcoming systemic barriers that hold marginalized communities back, and the transformative power of leadership rooted in clear purpose.