Elleen the Creator

By Elleen Commodore

Becoming an intern at Create Caribbean had been an ambition of mine for quite some time. As a newly graduated high school student and freshman at the Dominica State College in 2017,  when the opportunity arose I leaped at it. My initial experience was cut short by the passage and subsequent devastation of Hurricane Maria. However, upon my return to Create Caribbean a metaphorical band aid was placed over the wound, that was the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.

This year, on Good Friday, we were asked to reflect on the theme “Small is Beautiful”.  As I cogitated on this as well as my time as an intern with Create, I resolved that my current small and seemingly insignificant contributions will go toward the greater good, that is, the betterment of my school and home community, region and by extension the world. In this way, I will be taking steps toward being less of a passive bystander and more of an active citizen.

 

In part, I feel that my experience as a Create Caribbean intern can be likened to that of a brand new pencil in a pencil case; freshly painted and sharpened and ready to be used for the growth and progress of the institute. As I continue to flourish at Create Caribbean, I begin to acknowledge and recognize my scuffs, scrapes and dents.  Interestingly enough, I have never been so proud of my flaws before. I think that I am most appreciative of these disfigures because I know that day by day and hour by hour (pun intended), they are shaping me into a better intern, student and wholesome individual.

 

Presently, we are working on a regional project called “Carisealand”.  As a new intern, I was eager to begin my work and research on this topic.  And this keenness has never faltered throughout my exploration. My time spent on the Carisealand project includes, but is not limited to researching natural resources of islands in the Caribbean, with a focus on Martinique. This broad and seemingly obtuse topic has indeed taken me on a journey. While gathering information on this topic and achieving the desired aims, I am faced with many hindrances, the main one being that my island of choice is a French isle.  This is by no means due to any lack of admiration of the French but instead, it is because this language barrier poses a bit of strain in obtaining information. Despite this stumbling block, I continue to candidly work on my appointed assignment.

 

Ultimately, I make reference to an eminent quote by the late Maya Angelou which I feel summarizes my personal thoughts and feelings about being a Create Caribbean intern:

 

“The ache for home lives in all of us,

the safe place where we can go as we are

and not be questioned.”

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