Becoming a Creator

By Ashfred Norris

As a freshman at the Dominica State College, I was just beginning to adjust to everything that this new environment had to offer. I had made up my mind that I was not just going to get through this new level of higher education, but I was going to continue building the proper foundation for my future pursuits, thus I was determined to excel. When I first heard the name ‘Create Caribbean’, it was from my friends Jodine Robin and Mikayah Antonio, who were already interns. I thought to myself that maybe this is just some club that’s a part of a business that deals with the culture of the Caribbean locally and regionally and I saw that it was a way of getting closer to my goal, so I joined.

Upon joining, I didn’t know what to expect or even what to do. As new interns, we had to continue working on a project called ‘Building Communities: 1838-1938’. My first task in this project was to find interesting factoids about various communities within Dominica, so I did. For about two weeks, I continued to do things like this until Dr. Esprit announced that we were going to have our first intern workshop. I figured that maybe it was to give us an official welcome to the organization and teach us the ropes, functions etc, but this workshop was totally not what I expected. A part of Create that I’ve never seen before came alive; where all the seriousness and hard-working attitudes were tossed to a side and everyone was having fun socializing and getting to know one another better. I surely felt welcomed. We all were having a great time whilst accomplishing what we came to do.

Despite all the fun and excitement, Create Caribbean also takes the time out to groom and develop their interns. Hosting one on one sessions between the mentor and the intern was one of the things I admired that the institution did. This is where the mentor counsels and advises the interns on problems and situations that college students may have; such as procrastination, proper time management, priority listing and assisting them in whatever way they can. I was grateful for this as it proved that the institution not only wants to aid the interns with research and tech skills but also help them to build character and become well-rounded individuals.

My experience at Create Caribbean has been nothing but exciting and promising. What we are taught here I’m sure will stick with us for life, and the qualities that we have acquired through the teachings and direction of Dr. Eugene and Dr. Esprit will be something that will be cherished by each and every ‘creator’.