From Teenage Pregnancy To Senior Crime Scene Investigator And Author: Virgin Islander To Release Book On Finding God And True Self

ST. CROIX — Julisha Lansiquot, when she lived on St. Croix, had an enviable life: a good job, a seemingly great relationship and a status in the community that she described as respected. But her perfect world suddenly came falling after relationship woes and job problems at the Virgin Islands Police Department interrupted her life.

Ms. Lansiquot, who went from being an auxiliary police officer at the V.I.P.D. to a crime scene investigator, found herself broken as her love relationship — well-known in popular social media circles like Instagram and Facebook — had disintegrated; leaving the 25-year-old distraught. Adding to her problems, she said, was her job situation, which fell in jeopardy after being wrongly accused.

And all of this while having to be a strong and confident example for her young daughter. Ms. Lansiquot became pregnant with her daughter at age 17.

Depressed, and being at a point that she described as “hitting rock bottom,” Ms. Lansiquot thought all hope was lost. “Everything was just crumbling down on me and I loved that person so much that the heartbreak tore me apart, and that made me see myself from a different point of view,” she said.

Anything that hinders your peace of mind and happiness as a person, is not worth having. – Julisha Lansiquot

But her turning point came after being encouraged by her parents, Christians, who motivated her with a quote from the Bible that promises God’s protection, guidance and love in all circumstances. In essence, Ms. Lansiquot’s parents reminded her that her problems were not a sign of failure, and that if she continued to work hard she would become successful.

Taking her parents’ advice, Ms. Lansiquot gathered herself and moved to Georgia. Soon enough she was once again employed, and received a position as senior crime scene investigator, a step ahead of her former position at the V.I.P.D., where she spent six years.

Cover of Mountains High, Valleys Low, Julisha Lansiquot’s first book. Click to enlarge.

The young writer, who says she intends to be an encouraging force to people all over, and wants to eventually return home to contribute, spoke of her years at the V.I.P.D. and the many things that she’s seen. “All of it made me stronger, made me who I am today,” she told this publication in an interview late Monday.

Ms. Lansiquot also touches on her former relationship in the book, which she says was in great part responsible for her path in finding God, her true self and becoming a better person.

“A lot of times young women like myself, we get ourselves into situations, whether intentionally or not, but we feel like the whole world is against us and that we’re not going to make it. But at the end of the day if you don’t give up on yourself and if you put God first, you are going to make it,” she said; a message the book will convey.

However, Ms. Lansiquot’s biggest inspiration for writing the book was her daughter. She described the difficulty of having a child at 17, and then having to join the police force one year later; a job that sometimes demanded 80-hour work weeks. Ms. Lansiquot was able to press through because of help from family, as well as the child’s father, who at the time played an essential role in helping look after their daughter. And she encouraged teenage mothers to not give up. Instead, she said, they should surround themselves with people who love them and have their best interest at heart.

“Nobody is perfect and I have made a lot of mistakes in my life, which is why I was able to go through these experiences and be where I’m at,” she said. “And while I was able to rely on family, not everybody in the Virgin Islands have parents who are still alive, but if you have friends, don’t be bashful in asking for their help. We all make mistakes and learn from them.”

She also talks about her faith walk in the book, stating, “This book is about God’s mercy and how he kept me, when, in disobedience, I turned my back on him. It’s about a scared pregnant teenager; it’s about awesome parents (my mom and dad); it’s about a precious little life, my daughter; It’s about the importance of family and friends; it’s about Jesus, my lord and savior; it’s about mountains high, valleys low,” she said.

The book, titled Mountains High, Valleys Low, starts off as a love story, Ms. Lansiquot revealed. In the intro, the book walks readers through how Ms. Lansiquot had given her all to her then-partner, placing that person before her own needs, “and I ended up getting my heart broken,” she said. “And it was then that I discovered what life was really about.”

“I lost myself through loving this person,” she went on.  “The situation was an eye-opener for me. I was like, ‘Listen, you’ve got to wake up; there’s more to life, you have so much going for you and a daughter who is looking up to you.’ And I realized that anything that hinders your peace of mind and happiness as a person, is not worth having.”

The book will be released in November and will be available at various outlets, including online stores such as Amazon. Ms. Lansiquot will return to the territory in November, where a book-signing event remains tentative, and where residents will be able to purchase hard copies of her work.

Correction: Nov. 2, 2016

A previous version of this story stated that Ms. Lansiquot was promoted from auxiliary police officer to crime scene investigator. Ms. Lansiquot was transferred to the CSI department; not promoted. The story has been updated to reflect the correct information.