FALL RIVER – When Taydra Fahie took a leap of faith last year and left the warmth and comfort of a pristine Caribbean island for a bustling, snow covered college campus, she was ready to accept the many challenges she faced and equally determined to make good use of every opportunity she encountered in her new surroundings.
Fahie, age 18, a native of Anguilla, a small British overseas territory in the Eastern Caribbean, walked across the stage last Saturday morning during Bristol Community College’s 49th commencement to receive an Associate of Science degree in engineering technology with a concentration in civil engineering.
Arriving in Fall River in January 2015, just weeks before the beginning of a series of tumultuous winter storms that wreaked havoc on the region, Fahie says she was undaunted by the weather, although the heavy ice and five-foot snow drifts were a far cry from the white sugar sand beaches and rolling aquamarine waves that draw legions of travelers from all over the world to Anguilla every year.
“I love the cold, so it was no trouble for me,” Fahie says. Her lilting Caribbean accent, infectious laugh and genuine warmth open doors for the enterprising student and allow her to easily make friends, so there’s little doubt why the international student become so popular on the Fall River campus.
Turning serious, the enthusiastic student recalls that as she prepared to leave the island to attend college, she had a few doubts about the new chapter she was about to begin, despite having previously visited the United States a few times. She wondered how she’d adjust to life in America, after living in a small, comfortable community on an island with 15,000 inhabitants and where residents at least knew everyone by sight.
“As the time went by, I prepared myself mentally for college,” she shares. “I felt ready to go.”
According to Fahie, the Anguillan schools follow the Caribbean system, and most students graduate from high school at age 16, Although there is a new community college on the island, Fahie says that its programs are geared toward commerce and the hospitality industry. Many of the island’s high school graduates continue to pursue higher education in Barbados, Trinidad, the United States, Canada and England.
Fahie says she learned about Bristol Community College from a friend, Javornel Lloyd, also a member of this year’s graduating class.
As Fahie explored BCC’s web site, she quickly realized that the community college offered many opportunities beyond the classroom.
“I got the sense of diversity as I checked out the club pages,” she continues. “It just wasn’t the program. There were various activities. Being a student ambassador caught my attention.”
Once she arrived on campus, the enthusiastic student quickly became immersed in difficult courses, taking up to six each semester. She also found time to volunteer as a student ambassador and as an active member of the STEM Club, STEM Women and the Black Student Union.
“I like to look ahead,” she emphasizes. “I went with the flow and everything fell into place.”
Fahie says she was able to accomplish so much in such a short time because she created an action plan. She also credits BCC basketball coach and Multicultural Club advisor Robert Delaleu for serving as a mentor and easing her transition to campus life.
“Once you have a schedule and a plan, and you make it your business to stick to your schedule, it will work out,” Fahie says.
“It’s not forever,” she emphasizes. “You blink and it’s half over. It’s just a semester – it’s not forever.”
The passionate student says she’s inspired by her father Wycliffe’s example. He, too, studied abroad and earned a doctorate in economics, and serves as Principal Assistant Secretary, Ministry of Finance in Anguilla. Her mother Pamela is a longtime employee of a popular boutique on the island.
The new BCC graduate, the youngest of three children, was also inspired by her brother who serves in the United States navy and a sister who graduated from Howard University in Washington, D.C. and who subsequently earned a master’s degree in England.
In September, Fahie’s journey will take her to Philadelphia, where she will pursue a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. Not one to be idle, she then plans to obtain a master’s degree in environmental engineering, and eventually a doctorate.
“It’s been fun but when I think of graduation it’s kind of bittersweet,” she says, adding that she is grateful to the many people who made her experience at BCC and in Fall River so memorable.
Although Fahie’s studies kept her on campus during much of her stay in Fall River, she enjoyed her time in the Spindle City.
“Fall River is a unique town,” the engaging student observes. “The pace is just right. It isn’t too urban or too rural.”
One of Fahie’s most memorable experiences was visiting Battleship Cove, a destination that she found to be “very interesting” and an attraction that increased her knowledge of American history.
“Being here also introduced me to Portuguese culture and their cuisine captured my taste buds,” Fahie concludes. “Their culture is absorbing and they’re always wiling to share it.”
Credit:
Brian J. Lowney/Hathaway Publications.
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)
