HON. DR. MONIQUE LYNCH

ABOUT HON. DR. MONIQUE LYNCH
Director of Registration & Diplomatic Programs
CUM AUYA's Special Representative to the CARICOM

Dr. Monique Ann-Marie Lynch, is a Diplomat, Youth activist, Author, Entrepreneur, Mental Health Professional. She holds a Doctor of Science degree in Mental Health and Bachelor of Science in Economics and Statistics from the University of the West Indies, with a Master of Science in Counseling and Social Work with Distinction from the Mico University College.

Monique has completed a Certificate in Psychological First Aid from Johns Hopkins University, a Certificate in Positive Psychiatry and Mental Health from the University of Sydney and Certificates in Community Organizing for Action and Strategies for Personal Growth & Development from the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative in January of 2018.
She completed a post-graduate certificate in Transformational Leadership under the SDGs and and Diplomacy with High Commendation, She also has diplomas in Project and Operations Management, certificates in Marketing and Supply Chain Design from ALISON school in the United Kingdom by Distance Learning.

Dr. Lynch serves as the Director of Registration and Diplomatic Programs at African Union Youth Assembly (AUYA), and also the Special Representative to the CARICOM countries, where she represents Youth and young people of African descent in the Diaspora. She was part of the AUYA's Diplomatic Class Cohort of 2022, and has successfully completed her diplomatic studies in Political Economics and Global Diplomacy option at the (Consular & Diplomatic Service University -CDSU) and has been offered the Ambassadorial Certification License (Grade 4) as a Young Career Diplomat of AUYA.

In 2021, she was the youngest alumni and only Doctorate holder awarded the Mico Alumni Award for Excellence in Leadership. She is currently nominated for the Governor General’s IBI Ambassadorship and Mental Health Matters Award in Jamaica and Australia respectively.Today her leadership skills, along with the professional experiences gained from several organizations in Jamaica have pushed her to start her own Non-Profit Organization called Chosen Stars Foundation in January of 2016.
she has more than eight ( years of experience in the areas of quantitative research, community development, youth development, diplomacy, leadership, business analysis, mental health (preventative and intervention strategies, literacy, promotion, and advocacy), fund-raising and project management. Having risen from Seaview Gardens, labeled as one of Jamaica’s most violent communities, she has surpassed numerous obstacles and currently serves as one of the youngest role models in the community.

Dr. Lynch has always aspired to actively assist in the social, behavioral, and mental change in the lives of those around her. She was awarded Youth Ambassador for the parish of St. Catherine by the National Youth Service and Ministry of Youth and Culture in 2015 for the extensive work done in several communities. She was awarded The Prime Minister’s Youth Award for Excellence for Commendable Work in Youth Service on December 6, 2017, for having demonstrated outstanding and consistent voluntary service relevant to the development of youth and her community.

In June of 2018, she was awarded Youth Inspiring Positive Change from Positive Organization for work done in mental health in an inner-city community. She was a shortlisted candidate for the UWI’s Outstanding Women Award and the CIVICUS Youth Action Team 2019 -2021. In 2019, she has received the Unsung Shero Award for Mental Health, the Service above Self Award from the Rotaract Club of New Kingston, the 30-Under-30 Caribbean American Emerging Leaders/Change Makers Award, and the Positive Organization’s Award for Mental Health Education in 2019. I

In 2020, she has received the Flair Distinguished Woman Award for Mental Health Volunteerism and the Service above Self Award for Mental Health from the Rotaract Club of Liguanea Plains.
In 2021, she was the youngest alumni and only Doctorate holder awarded the Mico Alumni Award for Excellence in Leadership. She is currently nominated for the Governor General’s IBI Ambassadorship and Mental Health Matters Award in Jamaica and Australia respectively.Today her leadership skills, along with the professional experiences gained from several organizations in Jamaica have pushed her to start her own Non-Profit Organization called Chosen Stars Foundation in January of 2016.

Her foundation provides psycho-social-educational services to the community of Seaview Gardens. Since the inception of her foundation, she has carried out over 30 events within the community, with the most top events being:

1. She is currently running a project called Care Packages for our Frontliners, which is aimed at providing medical, food and personal care items to staff members at the Bellevue Hospital on the 29th of May, 2020.

2. She hosted several mental health workshops across the island to bring awareness and to promote literacy in mental health.

3. She runs a monthly support group for families or caregivers of persons diagnosed with a mental illness

4. She provides free counselling for victims and perpetrators of domestic violence.

5. #MeEqualsYou Mental Health campaign was launched October of 2018 and has become one of her main personal projects.

6. #CODEBELLEVUE is an initiative under the #MeEqualsYou Campaign where she adopted the Bellevue hospital since 2019 and made 8 donations of personal care items, gently used clothing, laundry items, bed linens, pillows, and other projects at the hospital in 2019. She has continued this year and has given 4 donations since 2020.

7. She launched Chosen Stars Foundation branch in Kenya, Liberia, and Nigeria

8. She hosted her 7th annual back to school treat that catered for 400 children from Seaview Gardens with school bags and supplies in September of 2021 and its 8th staging in Riverton Meadows in August of 2022.

9. She partnered with Lasco Distributors Limited and J. Wray & Nephews Limited to hire young persons as Relief Merchandisers from Seaview Gardens.

10. She hosted a GSAT Marathon in February (2018) for six (6) weeks, free of cost for children whose parents could not afford to extra classes on the weekend, and they were provided with lunch.

11. “A second chance at dis book ting” where she partnered with the Mico University College to take batch 1 of 25 young persons from Seaview Gardens and train them in the skill area of Commercial Food Preparation that commenced in January of 2018.12. Chosen Stars Foundation 5th Annual Christmas event with the Tower Hill Missionary ECI providing toys for all 58 children on the 16th of December 2022.She is a member of the Seaview Gardens Youth Council, an Administrator and Educator for Seaview Gardens Football club and homework program and Vice President of the Seaview Gardens District Consultative Committee under the Ministry of National Security.

She volunteers with the National Youth Service in Spanish Town and the St. Catherine Youth Parish Council. She served as Chief Administrator of the Jamaican Youth Ambassadors to CARICOM Secretariat for the 2018-2019 term and served as an extended committee member of the Caribbean Regional Youth Council. She served as the Community Outreach Officer for the Jamaica Climate Change Youth Council and was appointed a Commonwealth Youth Peace Ambassador-Jamaica for the psycho-educational and counselling programme she spearheads for victims and perpetrators of domestic violence as a mental health and peace-building initiative in her former community.

She currently serves as a UNESCO Youth Ambassador for Jamaica for the 2019-2023 period. She was appointed Global Peace Ambassador for Jamaica from the Global Peace Chain for the 2021-2023 period and just under 1 year in service was promoted to Country Ambassador.