From Student to Teacher: Kathleen Thompson-Enrico Reflects on 50 Years of Girls at Queens College
By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News
Georgetown, Guyana – As Queens College prepares to mark 50 years since girls were first admitted, former student and educator Kathleen Thompson-Enrico is reflecting on her time at the prestigious institution with a mix of nostalgia, pride, and humor.
In an exclusive interview with Nightly News, Thompson-Enrico—an academic with a background in the arts—recalled joining the QC family after spending her first year at Bishops’ High School.
“I think some of the girls were excited, but some of us—myself included—met it with a bit of apprehension,” she said with a smile. “We didn’t know what to expect.”
That uncertainty quickly faded. According to her, the school’s atmosphere was friendly, competitive, and driven by a passion for academic excellence.
“The boys were very welcoming… for more reasons than one,” she laughed, “but if you didn’t want to get attached, you had to put your foot down!”
At Queens College, she noted, the institution demanded well-roundedness from every student.
“It was serious about academics, serious about sports and extracurriculars—but also, it was a lot of fun,” she said.
Now a former teacher at her alma mater, Thompson-Enrico is still surprised that five decades have passed since the school opened its doors to female students.
“I didn’t even realize it was 50 years… it feels like yesterday. It’s only the little aches of aging that remind me,” she chuckled. “I was just skipping up and down three flights of stairs.”
As QC celebrates this historic milestone with events including an exhibition and the launch of a commemorative magazine, voices like Kathleen Thompson-Enrico’s help remind all Guyanese of the enduring legacy of excellence—and the generations of girls who helped shape it.
