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    How a Long Island resident of Caribbean heritage helps her family’s business flourish 

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    Melissa Morris’ parents migrated to the United States from Jamaica in the late 1970s and settled in the Bronx, New York. They got married in the late 1980s, and around that time, they were in the process of moving to Long Island, where she was born. Her father worked as an editor for Newsday, while her mother was a nurse at Mercy Hospital in Rockville Centre, New York.  “After moving to Long Island, my father recognized an unmet need in the community. At the time, there were limited options for Caribbean food and groceries on Long Island. They began to realize that the Caribbean presence on Long Island was growing and that this community deserved a place where people could conveniently find quality Caribbean goods and services,” Morris shared.   Once they realized this, it took several years of planning and pulling resources together for her parents to open Sam’s Caribbean Marketplace in December of 1993. Located at 225 Hempstead Turnpike, West Hempstead, NY, it offers Caribbean groceries, food, and products while serving as a place where community, culture, and tradition come together.  Even though there were many obstacles along the way, they made it happen. “What started as a vision became a family business that has continued to serve the community for more than three decades,” Morris said.  Morris recalled being a motivated yet quiet and somewhat anxious child growing up. She typically shied away from the spotlight; once she was in seventh grade, though, that changed.  Her English teacher asked her to participate in her school’s oratorical contest. The speech she chose was by Indira Gandhi, titled “What Educated Women Can Do.” She committed to doing it, even though she was extremely nervous.  “That experience gave me the confidence to recognize the power of my own voice. It also gave me the courage to pursue opportunities involving public speaking and, more importantly, to appreciate having meaningful conversations and connections with people in my everyday life,” she stated.  Morris attended St. Francis College in Brooklyn from 2015 to 2019, where she earned her B.A. in Communications, with a concentration in Advertising. She took a six month break afterwards, and then decided to apply to Molloy University, which was her first and only choice for business school.  “I appreciated its convenient location, and when I toured the campus, I immediately felt that the environment was comfortable and welcoming,” said Morris. In addition, Morris said she truly felt supported throughout her time there, and she gives gratitude to her advisor, Dr. Maureen Mackenzie-Ruppel, and Dr. Linda Silva-Thompson, who was the Director of the Academic Assessment Program at the time when she was a graduate assistant. “I shared with them that I hoped to one day teach in higher education, and they were incredibly supportive. They took the time to share their experiences and knowledge with me, and their encouragement ultimately helped me pursue that goal. Today, I am an adjunct lecturer at Marymount Manhattan College, which has since become Northeastern University’s New York City campus,” she shared.  For her, some of the most valuable things she learned in business school included: strengthening her communication skills through writing and public speaking.  One of the projects Morris is particularly proud of was encouraging her father to revamp the store’s online shopping platform. She explained, “Our previous website was losing business because the interface was no longer easy for customers to navigate. With the help of our team, we created a website that is more user-friendly, engaging and visually appealing. It was an opportunity to take something that was already part of our family business and modernize it for today’s customers.”  Additionally, the store hosted its first Customer Appreciation Day that occurred on June 20, 2026. During this event, customers received gift baskets & promotional items from its vendors. Most importantly, Morris, her parents, and their team were able to create an experience that celebrated the people who have supported our business throughout the years.  One challenge Morris believes the business industry needs to address is the ethical use of artificial intelligence.  “Regardless of where someone stands on AI, the technology is here, and as business and industry leaders, we need to understand how to use it responsibly," she said. "I believe AI can be a valuable tool to enhance what we do, but it should never replace our own thoughts, ideas, creativity or human connection. We should use technology to complement our abilities, not replace the human element that makes a business unique." Preserving the legacy of the business means everything to Morris. For her, it is not simply about marketing a business; it is about honoring the work, sacrifices and vision that her parents built their lives around. Discussing its legacy, Morris stated, “I want Sam’s to continue being a place that supports community initiatives and endeavors, while also being a space where customers feel comfortable and welcomed, even when they are not there simply to shop.”  Furthermore, Morris sees the business as a way of preserving Caribbean pride, traditions, and culture long term. “I want future generations to continue having access to the foods, products and cultural experiences that connect them to their heritage, while also introducing those traditions to people who may be experiencing them for the first time,” she said. The message Morris hopes to carry with her in everything she does is something her parents’ journey has taught her: “Success does not happen overnight. It takes patience, preparation, resilience and the willingness to keep moving forward.” She also wants people to know:  “It is also imperative to remain positive during difficult times because those are the moments that truly test the quality of your character.”  For those who have not yet visited, Morris invites you to experience Sam’s Caribbean Marketplace for yourself! Find more information here: https://sams24-7.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoqxGtzPH5a-UIs8vBnEaItUu-fdBi1SB5wC80jPcQrXpVlb_KYC. 
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