I started The University of Texas at Austin (UT) in 2013 and it was after teaching in Beacon for 2 terms, plus working at KFC and Allamanda Beach Resort. And it was exhausting. And invigorating. And fricken scary. I spent most of that year taking SAT prep courses, spending hours and hours writing college essays and throwing my hard-earned money at college applications. But then it came time to start school.
Honestly, Danielle, I was ready to leave home. And no, it's not just that I was bored and tired of home. I was just ready to experience something different. At home, we're siloed and boxed-in by the ocean. Out there? Outside of our shores? There are more possibilities. I mostly just wanted to experience different people and feel like I had more job opportunities when I graduated.
But you don't need to leave home to have those things.
That's why I'm really happy you got into SGU. I don't know what your deep motivations are for going to school. Maybe you think it's just what everyone else does so you want to stay true to the norm. Maybe you want to be the absolute best career woman of your generation. Whatever it is, I'm glad that drive is there.
I know SGU is still at home, but the great thing is that it has so much of the same things I was looking for when I left for UT. And there's a ton I think you'll love.
There are different people. SGU is advertised worldwide—did you know that? When I went to Texas, SGU was advertised as the premier medical school students should apply to. I know you're not doing medicine, but the fact is, SGU is known and recognized, so you'll be surrounded by eager students from ALL OVER THE WORLD. I consider that something to celebrate.
You'll hear a ton of different accents, learn more about religions, and about the diversity that makes us all super unique. You know each Grenadian is different and special. But now you'll learn that every Asian person is different and special. So is every Australian person. And every American. You'll have a blast navigating those variations when you accept them all as unique and valid. There's so much I can say about just falling in love with people as they are, and destroying the internal stereotypes we have about them. That's why I wanted to go to Texas. And it's why SGU will be great—as long as you navigate those differences well.
Also, SGU will be no man's land. Yes, you'll go home every day after school, but it's its own universe. You'll feel like you're in a different country and feel thrown into an odd culture—one where you're 100% responsible for yourself. You may feel like you have personal agency and at least some control over your life now...but when you start school, your success, failure and personal safety will depend on only you. Again, you'll still go home after school and wake up each day in your own bed, but for the most part, you'll have to exist in a place that feels very alien and unfamiliar. At times it will be extremely scary. That's a fact. But I hope and pray you learn how to defend your personal space and your own rights as an individual very quickly. It won't just be Grenadians there, and unfortunately, foreigners don't always play by our rules. You have to be extra vigilant, extra careful, and very independent. But in all those areas, I know you'll thrive.
Finally, I'm so happy for you to be going to SGU because it will challenge you academically. I know that feels like an irrelevant fact right now—school is school, right? Well, not exactly. My education at UT helped me get my first and second jobs straight out of university. My school was so well-known, it sealed the deal for Angela, my first boss. In fact, she boasted to all her clients that she snatched up a top student from The University of Texas. It was a badge of honor for her simply because my school was so great.
You're about to go to a great school in a great country. It won't guarantee you your dream job upon graduation, but it'll get you super close to your goals.
Your university experience is all laid out before you. You'll have a million little paths set in front of your feet. Will you stay back after school to study? Will you allow friends to distract you? Will you skip classes or miss readings? Will you do extra exercises and brush up on the material at home? Will you smoke? Drink? Mess around? Will you excel beyond belief? Thankfully, these are your options. For some people, their options are almost non-existent. They're thinking: I have no money for college so will I find a job with my high school diploma? If not, how will I eat? I'm glad for the opportunities at your disposal. And I'm so excited to see what you do with them.
I love you and miss you. Hope you and Bubbles are doing well <3
-Davina
Honestly, Danielle, I was ready to leave home. And no, it's not just that I was bored and tired of home. I was just ready to experience something different. At home, we're siloed and boxed-in by the ocean. Out there? Outside of our shores? There are more possibilities. I mostly just wanted to experience different people and feel like I had more job opportunities when I graduated.
But you don't need to leave home to have those things.
That's why I'm really happy you got into SGU. I don't know what your deep motivations are for going to school. Maybe you think it's just what everyone else does so you want to stay true to the norm. Maybe you want to be the absolute best career woman of your generation. Whatever it is, I'm glad that drive is there.
I know SGU is still at home, but the great thing is that it has so much of the same things I was looking for when I left for UT. And there's a ton I think you'll love.
There are different people. SGU is advertised worldwide—did you know that? When I went to Texas, SGU was advertised as the premier medical school students should apply to. I know you're not doing medicine, but the fact is, SGU is known and recognized, so you'll be surrounded by eager students from ALL OVER THE WORLD. I consider that something to celebrate.
You'll hear a ton of different accents, learn more about religions, and about the diversity that makes us all super unique. You know each Grenadian is different and special. But now you'll learn that every Asian person is different and special. So is every Australian person. And every American. You'll have a blast navigating those variations when you accept them all as unique and valid. There's so much I can say about just falling in love with people as they are, and destroying the internal stereotypes we have about them. That's why I wanted to go to Texas. And it's why SGU will be great—as long as you navigate those differences well.
Also, SGU will be no man's land. Yes, you'll go home every day after school, but it's its own universe. You'll feel like you're in a different country and feel thrown into an odd culture—one where you're 100% responsible for yourself. You may feel like you have personal agency and at least some control over your life now...but when you start school, your success, failure and personal safety will depend on only you. Again, you'll still go home after school and wake up each day in your own bed, but for the most part, you'll have to exist in a place that feels very alien and unfamiliar. At times it will be extremely scary. That's a fact. But I hope and pray you learn how to defend your personal space and your own rights as an individual very quickly. It won't just be Grenadians there, and unfortunately, foreigners don't always play by our rules. You have to be extra vigilant, extra careful, and very independent. But in all those areas, I know you'll thrive.
Finally, I'm so happy for you to be going to SGU because it will challenge you academically. I know that feels like an irrelevant fact right now—school is school, right? Well, not exactly. My education at UT helped me get my first and second jobs straight out of university. My school was so well-known, it sealed the deal for Angela, my first boss. In fact, she boasted to all her clients that she snatched up a top student from The University of Texas. It was a badge of honor for her simply because my school was so great.
You're about to go to a great school in a great country. It won't guarantee you your dream job upon graduation, but it'll get you super close to your goals.
Your university experience is all laid out before you. You'll have a million little paths set in front of your feet. Will you stay back after school to study? Will you allow friends to distract you? Will you skip classes or miss readings? Will you do extra exercises and brush up on the material at home? Will you smoke? Drink? Mess around? Will you excel beyond belief? Thankfully, these are your options. For some people, their options are almost non-existent. They're thinking: I have no money for college so will I find a job with my high school diploma? If not, how will I eat? I'm glad for the opportunities at your disposal. And I'm so excited to see what you do with them.
I love you and miss you. Hope you and Bubbles are doing well <3
-Davina
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