ABOUT THE PRINCIPAL

Mrs. Arlene Nash Ferguson was born in Nassau, and educated at St. John’s College and the Government High School. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Education from the University of the West Indies (Mona Campus), and a Masters in Education [Administration and Supervision] from the University of Miami.

A veteran educator, Mrs. Ferguson served in the field of Education for twenty-four years, during which time she held the positions of Senior Mistress at the Government High School, lecturer in History and Assistant Chairperson of the Social Sciences Division of the College of the Bahamas, and Vice Principal of both the Preparatory and Secondary Departments of St. John’s College. The last nine years of her service in the field of Education were spent as Principal of St. John’s College. Mrs. Ferguson has impacted upon thousands of young Bahamians. She has shared with her students her belief in the importance of developing the whole person, the Christian obligation to use all talents to the fullest and an appreciation for the culture of the Bahamas.

Mrs. Ferguson is an avid proponent of Bahamian culture, and has participated in the Junkanoo parades from the age of four. She served on the National Junkanoo Committee for twenty-four years, and is the founding Secretary of the One Family Junkanoo and Community Organization. She has been an active participant in One Family’s Community Outreach Program and has co-chaired the One Family Book Fair ‘Rush To Read’ [1994], the One Family Health A-Fair ‘Rush To Live’ in 1997, the One Family Youth Symposium in the year 2000, and the One Family Junkanoo Summer Camp [1998-2001].

Mrs. Ferguson was the recipient of the Links Inc. ‘Unsung Hero in the Arts’ award, and has been recognized by the Ministry of Tourism for her long service to the National Junkanoo Committee, and her outstanding participation in the People to People Program. In 1997 she was selected by the Ministry of Tourism to represent the Bahamas on the Bahamas Customs Inspection Sticker.
As the Director of Publishing for Doongalik Studios [1997-2000], Mrs. Ferguson published her first book ‘I Come To Get Me! An inside look at the Junkanoo Festival’ which has been highly acclaimed.

Mrs. Ferguson is the Co-Founder and present Director of Educulture Bahamas Ltd, an enterprise that offers support services to schools, cultural and educational consultancies, and a Junkanoo museum. In August of 2001, Educulture was contracted to take a delegation of one hundred five Junkanoos to perform in the closing ceremony of the 8th IAAF Championships in Athletics, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Mrs. Ferguson is presently a member of the National Commission on Cultural Development, an Executive Member of the Junkanoo Development Association, Secretary of the One Family Junkanoo and Community Organization, and the co-host of the popular weekly radio talk show ‘Junkanoo Talks!’ She is the daughter of Mrs. Olga Bosfield Nash and the late H. O. Nash. She is married to Mr. Silbert Ferguson, the Assistant Controller at the Marriott Crystal Palace, and the couple has two children. The family attends Holy Cross Anglican Church.

BACK TO TOP