by Curlan Campbell, NOW Grenada
- Eleven Grenadians complete various degrees at Midwestern State University
- Over 250 Grenadian students have earned degrees from Midwestern since 1995
Eleven Grenadian students were recently congratulated by the Government of Grenada for their performance after completing various degrees at Midwestern State University.
Among them were Johann Redhead and Tellon Smith who both attained magna cum laude honours with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. Timon Thomas, a former teacher at the Westerhall Secondary School earned himself cum laude honours with a Bachelor of Arts in Sports and Leisure Studies and Entrepreneurship.
NOW Grenada reached out to Smith, a former student of the Grenada Boys’ Secondary School (GBSS) who said hard work does pay off.
Reminiscing about his years at the GBSS, Smith said although he hated school and would frequently skip many of his classes, he had a knack for technology. “When I graduated, my CXC results were quite disappointing and as a result, I independently retook some of the CXC subjects. However, I did have a passion for technology and I was very skilled at repairing and servicing computers. I got a part-time gig with an IT consultant that eventually lead to a full-time job as a network and systems administrator. This led to me furthering my interest in technology. So I did a couple of IT certifications to improve my knowledge and skill set.”
Following a visit to Texas, Smith said he was inspired by his brother to attend the Midwestern State University (MSU).
“One year, I visited my brother in Texas, who was attending MSU at the time. Seeing the campus in person and witnessing the support that the International Office and the Caribbean Students Organisation (CSO) provided for students to settle in and feel right at home ultimately led to the decision to pursue my degree at MSU. I did not attend college in Grenada, therefore my only option was to study for and take the SAT exam in order to gain admission to MSU.”
Success did not come to easy. Smith stressed as he recalled many of the sacrifices made to attain his degree.
“After a solid performance in my first semester, I applied and got accepted into the Redwine Honours Programmes – a scholarship programme that requires you to maintain a certain GPA, enrol in a minimum of 15 credits each semester, and participate in multiple activities and volunteer events. It also required you to take an advanced version of some of the core courses and take leadership and research seminars. In addition to that, I worked 20 hours a week as a student assistant and also served and as the webteam co-chair of the Caribbean Students Organisation (CSO) for 2 consecutive years. Having to juggle all of this and more, proved to be the greatest challenge during my time at MSU. However, I believe that my personal development while working has helped me become better equipped for multitasking and time management, which was crucial to my success.”
The young graduate said he is now ready to pursue his entrepreneurial dream of owning his own software company.
“One of my goals is to someday own a software consulting company. Before I can do that, I must first secure a job in that area to gain some real-world experience. At some point, I would then like to pursue my Master’s degree and then see where things go from there. I do plan to return to Grenada at some point to hopefully start a business, providing custom software solutions and web applications for the varying needs of the local businesses, eventually branching out to the entire Caribbean region.”
Other Grenadian graduates are:
- Tricia Neptune earned a Master of Science in Biology; she previously earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology at MSU
- Kevin Lord earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
- Caleb Gabriel earned the Bachelor of Business Administration in Management Information Systems
- Dareem Antoine earned the double degrees with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics
- Kornika DeGannes and Kimberly Modeste both earned their Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance
- Simone Alexis earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- Sheena Charles earned a Bachelor of Social Work.
Over 250 Grenadian students have earned degrees from Midwestern since 1995 and 51 students are currently enrolled. Ten students from Grenada will be accepted to Midwestern State University in August 2018.
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