By: Nick Thompson (Whetstone Staff Writer)

Cochise Lucas/ Whetstone
Caress Roach’s eyes constantly appraise both people and the situation.

That works to her advantage in her job as Alcohol Education Coordinator at Wesley College.

“Caress is always friendly, willing to help you if you need it and she’s fun to work with,” said junior Rachel Coats. “She is someone you can talk to about anything, even personal problems.”

Her students say she is dedicated to her work.

“Last year my mother was hit by a drunk driver on Route 13 and that definitely influences me,” she said. “Hopefully in the next few years I can see the growth of this wellness program to become more preventative than reactive.”

Roach has proposed a plan to Student Life that she says will help to institutionalize the Alcohol Education program.

With this program she said she wants to educate college students on making better decisions about their drinking habits.

Roach is the third of six children from a Jamaican mother and American father.

“Having so many siblings has definitely helped me to be more humble about what I have achieved so far,” she said. “I’m the first out of my family to go to college.”

She attended the University of Delaware for an undergraduate degree in Leadership and a graduate degree in Higher Education Administration.

She wants to get a doctorate before she gets “too old and crusty,” but she is not sure in what field yet.

“She is a role model for me and I love working with her,” said sophomore Kareema Sesay. “She’s got her stuff together and always expects our best work out of us.”

But her job is not her entire life.

She said she enjoys painting, doing hair, and is even considering attending cosmetology school.