Counting Is Simply Beautiful

Keeping true to her roots, although leaving her land of birth at the age of 10, Cheri Alphonse Hayes is a patriot and a die-hard lover of the island of St. Lucia. She believes in keeping her cultural origins and ancestral foundation alive through language (creole), dialect, events and travel. As the eldest girl of her parents, it has always been in her nature to nurture and care for children through mentoring and teaching. Now, a mother of two young men, Jordan and Jaden, Cheri creates opportunities for her children to learn and engage in their rich heritage in the United States as well as the Caribbean. Cheri is married to Carleton J. Hayes of Newark, NJ and resides in Japan where she is employed by the Department of Defense Education Activity.