2017 YCLA Finalist Yentel McGaw

Yentel McGaw is a known community leader and youth advocate through her years of service to the public. She is the current Immigration Manager and HR Consultant at Baraud International Recruitment Consultants Ltd. with over 4 years’ experience in the Human Resources field.

She has also been described as passionate about helping the Caymanian community secure employment and received a great turnout of support having recently executed the Ritz-Carlton Caymanian Recruitment Drive in June 2017.

She is a proud alumni of Ernst and Young and the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman where she spearhead community initiatives and projects for each organization. Yentel has lived her life determined to achieve whatever she sets her mind to but not at the expense of giving back to her community and family.

In 2009, Yentel founded the Youth Community Excellence Award program which highlights the positive efforts of young people in the community who are striving to make a difference. The foundation is also a scholarship program as recipients of the award are funded with a two-year overseas government scholarship and a check for $1,000 which goes back to the organization that nominated the winner.   A full time working mom to her 2-year-old daughter, Kai Olivia Haye, Yentel has contributed countless hours each year to community service with various organizations like NCVO, Meals on Wheels, ARK and the National Drug Council to name a few.  

She has organized initiatives such as a multi-hotel Earth Day Cleanup, an End Polio” fundraiser with the Rotaract Club of Grand Cayman, assisted with local food drives through the Women’s Believers Ministry and is a mentor for the Girl force initiative with NextGen Cayman where she mentors a group of young girls in the local high schools.

Age: 26

Degree:

Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing Management from the University College Birmingham, UK. and will be pursuing her MBA degree in 2018.

Accomplishments:

Founder of Yentel McGaw Youth Community Excellence Award

Proud of Them recipient 2013

Executed a Drug Prevention conference for over 1,000 students in Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac in 2017

Helped raise over $13,000 for the Francis Bodden Girls Home in 2017

Core Message to Youth

“Your character and reputation will often times make the first impression long before someone meets you. It’s the most important investment you can make in yourself to ensure you are nurturing and investing in your future. Be kind to everyone you meet, stay humble, stay focused and stay hungry for the goals you have for your life, because only you can make them come through. Lastly, always remember your character is who God says you are and Reputation is who people say you are, so seek God first and trust him in all things. ”