Introducing, Mr. Derek Chin Fatt – Derek graduated from Fatima fifth form in 1977 and continued on to John S. Donaldson Technical Institute via a pre-certification programme orchestrated by the then principal Mr. Clive Pantin, for a struggling form 2B at the time. There he earned his Electrical\Electronic Engineering Technicians diploma.

His further education was conducted due to and while at various positions at a number of companies outlined later on, these include – Digital Electronic training in the country of Malta in 1980, and five other training courses at CTech in Dayton, Ohio. Comprehensive Management training which included such topics as union negotiations, warehouse management, grocery management and the like…….

Mr. Chin Fatt first employment after leaving John S. Donaldson Technical Institute in 1980 was with R.J Shannon & Co. ltd. repairing and installing (Electronic/Electrical) Cash registers, R.J Shannon was later bought over by CCS and Derek left the company and joined Lisa Ltd. as Manager of the Technical Servicing Department.

In 1985 Derek joined the Family business, Chin Fatt’s bakery, Diego Martin, managing the business for the next eight years, followed by Manager of Bakery Operations for the Hi Lo chain of groceries 93-95.

In 1995 Derek joined Jen Mar Business Machines Ltd. where he launched, managed and built the computer department of the company over the next seven years, leaving the company with the computer department as the highest earning department within the company.

At this juncture his life took a major turn leaving our shores to manage and re-engineer the workings of Palm Court restaurant in Guyana for the next two years. On return to Trinidad and at a cross roads he made the decision to go into business for himself forming CAM Services in 2003, being able to register the business in 2004. CAM Services today is an ongoing and successful concern in the business of design, installation and maintenance of Point-of-Sale and security systems and music (equipment and D.J. services).

What is your best memory of your time at Fatima? – Form 4, with the creation of the A.V. (Audio Visual) center. Derek was one of the boys in the very first group involved with the A.V. center under Mr. Bruce Paddington. The activities at the time by this group involved archiving music, organizing educational films and operating the projector facilitating educational programmes.

He also remarks about being at Fatima for the entry of the very first female teachers Ms. Kelswick and Ms. Zakoor (for whom any of us who had the pleasure of being at Fatima during her tenure left an indelible impression to say the least)

What is your worst memory of your time at Fatima? – Form 2 where he was among the group of boys of Form 2B who at the time were considered the most delinquent, rebellious students of the school.

Did you have a “nickname” while at Fatima? – reluctantly he discloses that on some occasions he was called “Bighead” …. Boys will be boys.

Derek notes among the most enjoyable times of his life being an avid Windsurfer and a founding member of the (now defunct) Windsurfing Association of Trinidad and Tobago.

Today Derek continues to run and grow his company, is married and the father of a daughter (studying culinary arts in Barbados) and three boys, two of whom have joined him in the business and the last still in school. He has also been a D.J. since fifteen years old and continues to do so under the sobriquet of D.J. Harddrive.