Ella Jean Downs Wilson was born in Corn Island and has devoted her life to preserving and promoting the island’s oral history and cultural heritage. Since 1985, she has actively collected oral narratives from the community and has served as an advisor on several documentaries focusing on the historical and cultural traditions of Corn Island.
Ella Jean is also a professional nurse, having graduated from the Ruth C.S. Thaeler School of Nursing in Bilwaskarma, Río Coco. She worked at the Baptist Hospital in Managua from 1980 to 1983, and later served as Deputy Director of Rigoberto Cabezas School from 1984 to 1985.
In addition to her professional roles, she has been a long-standing health brigades activist since 1980, and has actively participated in the annual Emancipation Day celebrations in Corn Island since 1983.
Ella Jean is also a historian, cultural promoter, and Sunday School teacher at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where she continues to shape the lives of younger generations. She collaborates as an advisor for The Corn Islands Virtual Library and Museum, contributing her deep knowledge and experience to the preservation of local heritage.