Youth in Focus: St. Kitts
Ms. Osslyn Ward
By Claudia Liburd
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| Ms. Osslyn Ward originally of Tabernacle Village, St. Kitts |
(St. Augustine, Trinidad) --- “If you have a dream then by all means possible make it a reality because in the end you will certainly not regret it.”
These were the words of 22 year-old Osslyn Ward originally from Tabernacle St. Kitts but who is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in the field of Sociology with minor studies in Psychology and Government at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad.
Ms. Ward attended the Cayon High School from 1996 up until 2001 when she graduated and went on pursue studies in Sociology, History and Law at the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC) in St. Kitts.
Upon completion of her program in 2003 she went to work at the Ministry of Education in St. Kitts as the Secretary to the Chief Education Officer. However, after a year and a half she felt unsatisfied so she moved into the teaching profession.
“It was not a very challenging job so it motivated me to venture out into the teaching profession. My mother and sister are teachers so I grew up in that type of environment. Teaching taught me to be very patient, to accept people for who they are.
“I also learnt endurance skills and it also taught me to learn to love the less fortunate and the delinquent students. Though the experience was short, it also matured me in many areas as well in terms of working experience”, she said.
~~Adz:Right~~ At the end of the year she made the decision to attend the University of the West Indies (UWI) to further her studies in the field of Sociology.
“I decided to attend UWI so that I could expand my knowledge in the area of Sociology but when I got there I gained interest in the Government and Psychology courses so I decided to pursue a double minor in that my major is Sociology and my minor is Psychology and Government.
“I chose this because in teaching every student has his/her different personality and you have to know each of the personalities so that you could address each of those personalities. I find that many teachers are not effective in the profession because they don’t understand the different personalities that exist in students”, she said.
While she described her experience at UWI as one filled with ‘ups and downs’ she noted that she has matured to a great extent having met and lived with people from different countries and cultures.
“Gaining this experience has matured me to a great extent with the people from the different countries that I have been privileged to meet and live amongst. I have learned to accept and appreciate the melting pot of the different cultures and it has also taught me to manage myself in preparation for work”, she said.
However, her experience at UWI is not over just yet as she plans to return next year to pursue a Master of Science Degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice.
“Crime is on the rise back home so I think that the government would need assistance in that area. I would like to work in the court system and work probably as a counselor in Secondary schools because there is a lot of crime and delinquency that exists and there are not many people with the expertise in that area to deal with those situations effectively”, explained Ward.
In closing the interview Ms. Ward expressed her views on the importance of tertiary education and also gave words of wisdom for other young persons interested in pursuing studies.
“I really think that tertiary education is absolutely necessary in this generation because globalization is rapidly increasing and as a developing country there is the need to reach the academic/educational level as the other developed countries.
“If you have the dream you go by all means possible to make it a reality because in the end you will certainly not regret it because there are far more advantages that could be derived than the disadvantages.
“Try your best not to allow people to influence you in any negative way to not pursue your goals. Even though there is not the support that you may expect you must try your very best to make it happen”, she closed.
