Walking in History

With this light-hearted description of a journey to West Africa, readers are taken on a journey through time. This trip shares many facts on the history of West Africa and the culture of those who have ancestors from this beautiful region. The authors wrote a daily journal during their travels, making their trip come alive for the reader. Carmen E. Bovell, Ph.D is an early childhood professional, having spent her entire 50-year career in this field. Her professional experiences include teaching at the preschool, elementary and university levels and leading and managing early childhood programs at the local and federal levels. Dr. Bovell has also served as a visiting Fulbright Scholar and Fulbright Specialist at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona campus, Jamaica, and as Fulbright Specialist at the University of Guyana. Dr. Bovell was born in Guyana where she attended primary school and high school and graduated with a teacher’s Diploma from the Guyana Teachers’ Training College. She immigrated to the USA in 1969 and continued her professional education, earning a Doctorate degree in early childhood special education, with a concentration in social and emotional disorders of preschool-aged children, from the University of Maryland, College Park. Since her retirement from federal service Dr. Bovell has continued working in her field as an independent consultant, mentor and coach. Dr. Bovell resides in Maryland and is the proud mother of three and grandmother of seven. Florence Jones Calhoun, M.Ed. is retired from service in public education as a teacher and administrator. She is currently in private practice as a marriage and family therapist in Glendale, California. She has had a long-standing interest in exploring other cultures and has traveled extensively in pursuit of her interest. She often travels with a group whose mission is to explore African history and culture around the globe. Twice she has coordinated an international foreign student exchange program for high school students from South America. She was born and raised in Arkansas and has written two books about her family spanning five generations. The five generations include African roots and culture in her family’s history. She has two published books aimed for young teens: No Easy Answers: A Teen Guide to Divorce and Choosing a Career in Teaching. In addition to traveling, her other hobbies include tennis, dancing, swimming, yoga and sailing. She is a mother and grandmother and resides in Los Angeles, California, with her husband. Desiree DeFlorimonte, Ph.D immigrated to the United Sates in 1968 after receiving her formative education in Guyana, South America. She has a forty-five year career in pedagogy which spans the spectrum from Nursery through Graduate Schools. A reflective practitioner, Dr. DeFlorimonte has been passionate about mentoring and inspiring students, both in the USA and Caribbean. While working as a teacher Educator and Literacy Specialist, she has impacted the lives of countless teachers. Dr. DeFlorimonte was honored to obtain a Fulbright Scholar Award (2016-2017) and served as a Literary Studies Facilitator at the University of Guyana. There she assisted in the literacy development of children and aided teachers in implementing best practices in their classrooms. She has received numerous Community Service Awards as well as Honors from local and national organizations for her dedication and service to others. Dr. DeFlorimonte’s home is in Maryland and she enjoys travelling, reading, deep water aerobics, singing and dancing. She is the loving mother of Angel and proud grandmother of Jayson.