by Mell P
When Dr. Anthony Munroe speaks about education, it’s not an abstract concept or institutional mission statement. For him, education is deeply personal. It is the story of a grandfather who left Jamaica with little more than courage, a single mother who worked tirelessly to become a nurse, and a young man who refused to let a 14-year journey to earn a bachelor’s degree define his future.
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In an exclusive interview with Carib News, he shared his philosophy and deep respect he has for the sacrifices made by his family and how his work is led by that.
Today, as president of his third higher education institution, Dr. Munroe sees those experiences not as obstacles, but as the very foundation of his leadership.
As Jamaica celebrates its 64th year of Independence, Munroe believes the country’s greatest export extends far beyond its music, athletes, or cuisine.
“It has instilled in me a deep respect for education, hard work, perseverance, resilience, faith, family and community,” he said. “Those values have shaped every aspect of who I am personally and professionally.”
Munroe is a first-generation American whose maternal grandfather, born in Panama and raised in Jamaica, immigrated to the United States during the 1960s. Working as a dishwasher at Doctors Hospital, his grandfather eventually purchased a family home in the Bronx before bringing his wife and all 13 of his children to America.
That single decision altered the course of generations.
“My grandfather would always tell me, ‘You’re going to be a doctor,'” Munroe recalled. “He was planting seeds. Education was the transformative key to prosperity and economic mobility.”
His mother reinforced those lessons by putting herself through nursing school as a single parent, later dedicating more than four decades to caring for patients.
Watching her work double shifts while raising a family taught him that success is earned through consistency, sacrifice, and service rather than shortcuts.
Success Doesn’t Have to Follow a Straight Line
Unlike many university presidents, Munroe’s academic journey was anything but traditional.
Financial barriers prevented him from attending his first-choice college, and completing his undergraduate degree ultimately took 14 years. Rather than seeing the delay as failure, he credits mentors, community, and persistence for keeping him moving forward.
“Maybe it’s not three classes this semester,” he said. “Maybe it’s only one. But you’re getting closer and closer to your goal with each step.”
That determination eventually led to a successful career in healthcare administration, including serving as CEO of three hospitals, before transitioning into higher education leadership.
Today, Munroe says those nontraditional experiences allow him to better understand students whose own journeys are rarely linear.
sked what distinguishes his leadership, Munroe doesn’t mention titles, rankings, or achievements.
Instead, he speaks about remembering where he came from.
“It’s all humility,” he said. “Recognizing and respecting where I came from, what my family has been through.”
Thinking about his grandfather’s decision to leave Jamaica decades ago continues to motivate him.
As conversations around Jamaican excellence often celebrate Olympic champions, musicians, and entrepreneurs, Munroe believes one of the country’s greatest strengths receives far too little recognition. Its people.
“The contributions are extraordinary,” he said of Jamaicans and the wider Caribbean diaspora. “But the recognition doesn’t rise to that.”
He believes Independence celebrations should also honor everyday individuals whose resilience and hard work quietly strengthen communities without ever making headlines.
“They may not have a formal education,” he noted, “but they’ve been demonstrating the values of hard work and resilience and contributing to society in their own way. Yet they don’t get recognized.”
Munroe recently participated in Jamaica’s Diaspora Conference alongside students from his institution, where discussions centered on building stronger partnerships between the Caribbean and its global diaspora.
He believes the region has only begun tapping into its greatest resource.
“We need to tap into the wealth, the knowledge, the experience and the resources of everyone,” he said.
Whether through volunteerism, consulting, mentoring, or formal partnerships, he believes every Caribbean professional has something meaningful to contribute to strengthening education throughout the region.
His own institution is already exploring partnerships to adopt schools and clinics in Jamaica as part of that commitment.
After decades in education, Munroe hopes graduates won’t remember him simply as a college president.
Instead, he hopes they remember how they felt.
If he could speak to his 15-year-old self today, Munroe’s message would be simple.
“Believe in yourself. You belong. You are worthy.”
He encourages young people to embrace every opportunity, create opportunities when they don’t exist, and never allow setbacks to become permanent roadblocks.
“A setback could be a setup for success,” he said. “It’s never too late.”
As Jamaica marks another year of independence, Munroe hopes the nation continues placing its people at the center of its progress.
His own life serves as proof of that belief.
From the grandson of a Jamaican immigrant who washed dishes in a New York hospital to leading three colleges and inspiring thousands of students, Dr. Anthony Munroe embodies the very values he says Jamaica gave him: education, resilience, humility, and an unwavering commitment to lifting others as he climbs.
