Not every student needs to be the loudest in the room to leave an impression. Some are remembered for their composure, discipline, and the way they carry themselves. I believe I am one of those students.
As a senior from The Bahamas, I am graduating from Averett University on May 9, 2026, at 20 years old with a major in Communication, concentrating in Organizational Communication and Public Relations, and a minor in Digital Marketing. Completing my degree in three years has called for a demanding academic workload and a willingness to hold myself to a high standard in every area of campus life.
Moving from The Bahamas to the United States at 17 meant learning independence much earlier than expected. Being away from home meant learning how to manage college, daily responsibilities, and life on my own while adjusting to a completely new environment. It also meant growing up quickly and becoming more accountable from the very beginning. My professors and advisors played an important role throughout this process, and I was grateful to meet other Bahamians and friends along the way whose presence added to the experience and reminded me that I was not navigating it alone.
During my sophomore year last spring, I told my advisor and my family that I wanted to graduate by May 2026. To some, that may have sounded quite ambitious considering how many credits I still had left to complete in such a short amount of time. By the following semester, I had taken on 22 credits and earned President’s List, and I am finishing this semester with 21 credits while maintaining a high GPA. My efforts were later recognized with the Outstanding Achievement in Communications award at the 2026 Honors Convocation. Reaching this point has taken sacrifice and a dedication to the standard I set for myself.
Getting involved on campus was important to me because I wanted my time at Averett to include more than academics. Joining the Averett Dance Team during my first semester in Fall 2023 gave me one of my earliest ways to be part of campus life. Performing during halftime at football and basketball games gave me the chance to add to school spirit and made that first semester one I will always remember. As a freshman, I also had the opportunity to speak at a Board of Trustees event and introduce one of the members, which meant a great deal to me that early in college. Serving as a Student Ambassador later allowed me to connect with prospective students and families while representing the university through my own experience.
Spring 2025 opened up other experiences for me. I worked with the Financial Literacy Club on a project focused on money management and financial responsibility for college students, which is something many of us are expected to figure out on our own. During that same semester, my internship with the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany gave me hands-on experience with website development and building relationships within the church community. That same season gave me another way to be involved through the Afro-Caribbean Student Association. Through ACSA, I helped plan events, represent my culture, and take part in one of my favorite memories at Averett by placing first in the Spring Fling Fashion Show while representing my country. My involvement later grew into serving on the 2025–2026 E-board as Event Coordinator and Social Media Representative.
Although I may have been more reserved than some, I believe I always brought something worthwhile to the spaces I was part of. I carried myself with intention and showed up in ways that stayed true to who I am. I may have been fashionably late at times and really early at others, but I always wanted what I brought into a room to have value.
As I prepare to leave Averett, I step into this next chapter with confidence, creativity, and intention. I am grateful for the people I met, the experiences I had, and all that my time here brought out of me. More than anything, I leave knowing I stayed true to myself and did what I came here to do. “God placed me here on purpose, and I walked in it.”
