by Samara Burton
It’s hard to believe that my time with Create Caribbean is quickly approaching. Even though I am not a student at Dominica State College, I was graciously allowed to become an intern during my gap year in Dominica and have benefited greatly from this experience. I intend to continue on as an intern throughout the summer to help with the Create and Code Summer Tech Camp in July, and in September I hope to move to Canada to pursue my university education. While I eagerly anticipate my departure at the end of the summer, I am also very excited to teach at the Create and Code Summer Tech Camp this summer. I have had the opportunity to take part in various activities during my year at Create Caribbean, but Create and Code has been by far the project that I have been the most excited about, so I am happy that it will also be my last activity with the group.
In September I hope to study Informatics at the University of Dalhousie in Nova Scotia Canada. Informatics is a bachelors program within the faculty of Computer Science that deals greatly with the applications of and the use of technology in other sectors, such as business and medicine. I want to study informatics because I have a keen interest and appreciation for technology, but I also see the benefit of finding ways to safely and effectively apply its use in other areas of our lives.
Technology has the ability to make our lives safer and more efficient, and I would like to be a part of that. From the beginning I knew that I didn’t just want to fix computers, but to use technology as a means of enriching and improving our lives. As technology becomes more ingrained in our everyday lives I think it is important for the technology to be accessible to everyone, as well as to educate our future generations on its use so they can be better able to navigate the future that we are creating. This is why I strongly believe that programs like Create and Code are so important. I have said it before, but I really think that we are giving these kids a valuable opportunity, and one that I certainly did not have when I was their age.
I am incredibly grateful for the various opportunities that I have been given and all that I have learned during my time with Create Caribbean. I have been involved in projects that I was passionate about, and was exposed to many new experiences. I have learned so many things about Dominica and its history through participation in the Dominican History Project, and I have been given many opportunities to attend conferences and workshops here on the island, that I would otherwise never have had access to. Perhaps most valuable was the ability to keep my mind academically engaged during my period of absence from school. I would like to thank Dr. Esprit for providing me with this opportunity, and all the interns and staff, for welcoming and including me as part of the group. I wish them all the best in the new school year.
