The Question We are All Thinking: Why Provide Support to a Non-Caymanian?

Many people might be thinking, why should we give funding towards a non-Caymanian at University College of the Cayman Islands? This is a completely fair question. It is incredible what this island does for the community, and this island has truly been welcoming to myself as an expatriate; making me feel like Grand Cayman is my home.  Because of this, I would love to give back to the community in the same sense that I feel that the community has given to me. I have come up with different ways I could contribute to giving back to the community while finishing my education.

      First, while studying at University College of the Cayman Islands, I think it is tremendous that a lot of students, straight out of high school, have full scholarships to the university. This helps encourage the students towards continuing their education.   Interestingly, I have noticed through taking classes that quite a few of these students seem to have never had any experience in the working field. One idea to implement is help give back to the students by creating meetings where we can practice communication skills, preparing for future interviews. Along with communication, I have noticed quite a few 18 year-olds struggling with time management (as we all do at that age).  I would be interested to work as a mentor with some students teaching different techniques of time management and planning, and learning to avoid procrastination. I know when I was 18 years old I procrastinated in school a lot, but if there are extra services at UCCI for time management for students, it would be very helpful. Time management is a skill that is essential in school, work, and personal life.

Another way I would love to contribute to the community, is a plan after I become a  Registered Nurse. I think it could be really helpful to hold community meetings inviting anyone on Island who is interested on different topics of better health promotion.  Meetings could be held monthly, free and open to the public about different methods of following healthier guidelines. Different topics that could be discussed could include:  hygiene, how to handle different flus, positive exercises for mental health, health promotion specialized in hurricane relief, etc. If interested, within this portfolio see “Pay Back to the Community” for more information.

      Lastly, COVID-19 has proven the amount of nursing shortages not only in Grand Cayman, but worldwide. With this virus a new complication has been brought to the public, that not only is there a nursing shortage, but this virus also prevents many of the nurses from working with these specific patients, due to being considered “high risk.” As a nursing student at UCCI, my goals and ambition is to find a career as a nurse in Grand Cayman, helping to add to the younger nursing population on island. I have researched the starting salary of a nurse on the island and it seems to range between $50,000 to $60,000 a year. Working as a scuba diving instructor, my average salary in Grand Cayman has been about $24,000 a year. If I am able to find a sponsor for schooling, I would be more than happy to work at a lower wage for this sponsor after school in order to pay my tuition back.

I hope these different methods of helping the community depicts my motivation to achieve my goal as a registered nurse. My goal is to not only help the community when working, but also to create a community bond       toward better health education. It would be my honor to help students at UCCI as well as adults within the community who are interested in learning about different topics related to health. Unfortunately, in my current position, I am in need of financial assistance, but with the right support I could show my gratitude by giving back to the community, proving this financial support will be used productively.