Student’s Name: Brassette Henry

USI#: 1027460

Instructor’s Name: MMs. Carinya Sharples

Course Title: DPC 1205

Date: April 3, 2019.

Interviewer's name: Brassette Henry

Interviewee's name: Darren Marks

Date of interview: April 2, 2019.

Time of interview: 1:15PM.

Location of interview: Ministry of Agriculture, Hydromet Branch.

Subject of interview: Student excellence

BH: Hi, good day. I’d just like a few minutes of your time to ask you a few questions about yourself,
basically so I can get to know you better. I’m doing this because I’m currently a first year student at the
University of Guyana, pursuing a Communication Studies degree and this interview is just so our lecturer
can see how persuasive we can be- well I can be. Would that be okay with you?

DM: Yes, that’s fine with me.

BH: Okay, thank you. Can I please have your name and your age, please?

DM: Well, I am Darren Marks. I am twenty-one years of age.

BH: Okay. I’m Brassette Henry and I am nineteen. So… how are you and how was your day?

DM: Well, I’m good you know. I’m here trying with work. My day is kinda busy but, in all, everything is
okay.

BH: Okay. Could you tell me a bit more about yourself?

DM: Well, I... work for the Ministry of Agriculture. I recently completed my studies at the Guyana School
of Agriculture.
BH: Okay…

DM: And that’s how I end up working here. Besides the educational part, I am, you know, into different
stuff. Football and cricket, those are my two favourite sports. And I am also a promoter and an
entertainer. So I, you know, hold events, play at parties and stuff like that. And I’d like to, you know, get
out there and reach people and interact with them, you know, try to know more about people and their
likings and stuff.

BH: Okay, so… which job would you prefer? The entertainment life or the one at the Ministry of
Agriculture?

DM: To me… I would, you know, prefer the entertainment life because you would mostly have a bit
more time for yourself. You know, during the day you could always move around and do stuff and just,
you know, it’s just a few hours in the night you would be out for. So, you know, you’d be more rested
and have a lot more time for yourself to spend with you and your family and, you know… just to be
around.

BH: Okay, okay. I see. So… what would you say is the favourite thing about your current job at
Hydromet?

DM: The fieldtrips, you know? You get a chance to travel to places around Guyana for free, not using
your own money, having to pay for a plane ticket to go to Lethem and thing, whatever. You’re getting a
chance to see these places without having to, you know, going into your own pocket.

BH: Okay… and what would you say annoys you about your job?

DM: The lack of opportunities study-wise, you know. Like you would be ready to move on but due to
persons who would have, you know, been here for years and never wanted to do anything and then
when it’s your turn, you know, that’s when they decide that, oh you know, they want to study and kinda
blocks your way of going and, you know. Yeah… so the lack of opportunity to studies.

BH: Okay… well that sounds a bit harsh but what’s the career highlight you’re most proud of?

DM: Working at Hydromet is something good. You mean like when people hear my designation as
Hydrometeorological Technician they would believe that I’m a scientist but little do they know it’s not
even close, you know. It’s just normal.

BH: Okay… and do you think you’ll be staying at Hydromet much longer?

DM: No I don’t think I would be staying here. As soon as I finish serving out my time I would look to
further my studies and yeah, try my best to become somebody more, you know, vibrant in terms of the
community and getting to know people out there.

BH: Okay, so how would say that your ten year old self would react to what you do today?

DM: Looking back at me at ten and me today, I think I would have want to be who I am today. Given the
fact that I’m just twenty-one and I have achieved a lot at my age, you know. Yeah, so me at ten sees me
at twenty-one would have been proud of me, you know. Would have seen and said “I want to be Darren
when I get older. He’s- He is my role model.
BH: Okay, that’s very nice to hear. Let’s talk a little bit about your family. How much time would you say
you spend with your family?

DM: Well, I don’t live with my mother and my father. I live with my grandparents and one of my uncle,
but I do spend time with my family. Like when I get off of work I would go and check on my mom and
dad and I recently got a baby brother so, yeah. I try to, you know, make him get well known with this
face, you know. So he could know that yeah… “Is he I wan be like when I grow up.”

BH: Okay. And who would you rather spend time with? Would you rather spend time with your mother
and father, or your grandparents?

DM: It doesn’t really matter, you know. Because on both side, you know, I would get the same love and
affection cause my grandmother would treat me like I’m one of her own child and most obviously my
parents would treat me the same because I am one of their own. So it doesn’t really matter. I get the
same treatment from both places and whichever side it is, it’s just great. Can’t complain.

BH: Okay, would you say that you were close with your family growing up as a child?

DM: Yeah, well growing up it was always about family and- more than friends cause I was usually home
most of the time. And like on weekends you would had like a game night and, you know, just stuff to
keep the family close together so growing up it was mostly around my family more than friends.

BH: And how would you describe your family now?

DM: Well now that everyone is older and, you know, aging we would not have that bond as before but
we’re still close, you know. We still make jokes and talk about persons while growing up, how they used
to be. Well now, when I was growing up it was mostly about them. Now it’s mostly about me. Like what I
used to do when I was younger and how I have matured now and stuff so…

BH: Okay and who are you closest to in your family? And can you say why?

DM: I think I would say I’m more closest to my grandmother cause I could’ve- like from small growing
up, I could’ve told her anything and, you know. Like, wouldn’t get me in trouble or nothing and she was
the one who would always save me when I’m getting licks while growing up so… my grandmother is
always like my savior. Can always turn to her for anything. She’s always there to help and assist me.

BH: That’s very nice to hear. Would you want a family of your own?

DM: Yes… well anybody- well not anybody, but I think most persons would, you know, prefer to have a
family of their own to understand, you know, how to manage and how to be the head of the home.
Especially as a male, you know, you want to be able to provide and say “This is what I’ve done for my
family. And I’m sure that they are happy that they have someone who is providing for them and helping
them and, you know, making them happy.

BH: Okay, well… Let’s get more in-depth and more personal. So, let’s say you had only one sense- Sense
being your hearing, touch, sight etc. Which would you want?

DM: You could go that over? I didn’t hear…

BH: If you had only one sense like your other senses are not functioning properly, which would you want
and why?
DM: I would want my taste buds. Yeah, I would prefer taste.

BH: Yeah, I can see that food plays an important part of your life. What would you say is your definition
of success?

DM: What would I say is my definition of success?

BH: Correct.

DM: Success could be based on a lot of things. As for me, I would think that I’m successful already
because not a lot of people my age would be able to promote or keep an event and have a crowd or,
you know, make things happen for them. And for me, given at my age, I’ve kept a few parties and most
of them have been successful. And at this age, you know, I can be able to say that I own my own vehicle
and stuff like that. For me I would say that I’m already successful. I just have to keep working and be
more successful at what I’m doing.

BH: And are you a religious person?

DM: Yes, I’m a religious person.

BH: Okay, what religion?

DM: I’m Anglican.

BH: Okay, and what made you the most proud last year. Like what are you proud of that happened
within the last year?

DM: Well two things made me proud. I said at the starting of the year that I must be able to play at a big
event in Guyana before the year finish. And I got that opportunity when I played at that party on July
31st. Which was Liquorish for Soca and I was able to finally buy my car in the month of August.

BH: Okay that’s very nice. And, what- well who would you say that you really admire most in the entire
world? It could be somebody that you know or somebody that you do not know?

DM: I admire my father, you know, for a person who didn’t reach far in school and the only thing he was
taught by his father before he died was learning to drive and that is what is- is what he used to provide
for his family. From the time he reached the age to get a license he started driving and he just did it until
he got better, until he find a stable job and that’s what he used to provide for his family so. He’s the guy
that, you know, showed me that you don’t need education but you can do it once you have a skill.

BH: Okay and if you won a million dollars, what would you do with your money?

DM: I would invest it in land and help that turnover into something

BH: Okay well… you can learn a lot about a person by their dreams. Let’s talk about your dreams. If you
can do anything besides what you’re doing currently, right now, with your life, what would you do?

DM: I would probably wanted to be out of the country, you know, and being a big promoter, you know,
like someone who’s hosting a show and bringing in artistes from various places and stuff, you know.
Like, that was my dream. To do it bigger than I am now. And maybe someday I’ll be able to live that
dream.
BH: Okay.. I- Do you have any regrets, like things you had wish you had done?

DM: No, like I live a life of no regrets.

BH: So what would you like- two things at the top of your bucket list that you would like to accomplish?

DM: Well… two things I’d like to accomplish… Well, I’d like to accomplish being able to build a house and
have a family, that’s one. And the second one, well you know, I would just like to be a public person that
I could always be able to give back. So despite of all the things that I have done, you know, I must be
able to give back to my friends and family and people in the area.

BH: Okay, that’s very- So… we mentioned earlier that food plays a very important part in your life. So
what did you eat today?

DM: I had chowmein and chicken which is one of my favourite dishes.

BH: Okay, do you usually eat that on a daily basis?

DM: No, you know, I would normally eat it depending on the mood and what is provided. So yeah…

BH: So what would you say is your favourite food?

DM: Well since growing up, I’ve always like fried rice with baked macaroni and baked chicken. So, that
would be one of my favourites- or that would be my favourite of them all.

BH: Okay, and how often would you eat that?

DM: Approximately one time a week, which would be four times a month.

BH: Okay… Have you ever gotten the chance to think about… for example let’s say that you’re on a
death row and you have the opportunity to have one last meal, what would your last meal be?

DM: I think my last meal would be the same fried rice with bake chicken and baked macaroni.

BH: Okay, and why is that so?

DM: This would be because, you know, while growing up, whenever I had it, it would just make smile
and be happy, or I would’ve been full of energy. So, to die smiling, because I had my favourite dish, I
would die a happy person.

BH: Okay, so this dish is basically- reminds you of- gives you happy and pleasant feelings about your
childhood. Who would you say prepares it the best?

DM: My mother. She had the best. She’s the first person I ate it from so, you know, I just got that love
for it from her.

BH: So can you prepare it yourself?

DM: No, well that’s something I’m working on- to be able to cook the meal I love the most.

BH: And… can you remember the first time that you had the fried rice?

DM: I think it was at my nursery school party, I think. Yeah…

BH: Well it was nice talking to you. Thank you for chatting with me for these few minutes. I’ll let you get
back to your day.

DM: Alright, thank you.