By Gael Thomas
It feels like it was just last week that I was starting out as an intern at the Create Caribbean Research Institute. Create Caribbean thus far has been a mixture of successes, failures and so many experiences in between. Without a doubt, the Create Family has grown even closer since the first semester and although we have lost a few family members along the way, the remainder of us are continuing to forge meaningful relationships while improving our skills as digital humanists.
My projects thus far have been centered on the Small Projects Assistance Team (SPAT) of Dominica. The SPAT projects: History of SPAT, The SPAT Women’s Program and my current project, SPAT: Alliance of Dominica and Cuba, have become my adopted children as I’ve grown quite fond of working on them and finding out, even more, information about the SPAT program. My favorite aspect of working on the SPAT projects is the o
pportunity to locate and interview the people who were directly involved in the movement. Hearing their first-hand accounts and later transferring the information to an exhibit for others to share the experience has proven to be a very enlightening experience.
One Create Caribbean requirement was the enrollment into the Digital Humanities course. Digital Humanities is the use of digital tools to conduct research projects and present researched information. Before Create Caribbean, I hadn’t the slightest idea that here was a subject area dedicated to teaching persons how to research. Although demanding, the Digital Humanities course has proven to be quite helpful in my Create Caribbean projects. Not only does the course help with the research process involved in the projects but it also aids in the appropriate presentation of the information as well as encourages teamwork which is needed within any institute.
Regardless of all of my achievements thus far, I experienced a few challenges along the way. One of the main challenges was trying to share my time between my work at Create Caribbean and my work at school. Being a very demanding program, Create Caribbean requires a lot of attention to ensure that all projects are completed to a high standard and done in a time efficient manner. Setting aside time for Create Caribbean work from my already busy schedule is facilitated by the involvement of the Create staff. Gratefully, at Create Caribbean, we have amazingly helpful supervisors and older interns who are always willing to help in any way that they can.
Not one regret has come from my decision to join the Create Caribbean research institute. Thus far, my journey has been a fruitful one with many accomplishments. I am hopeful for my future at Create Caribbean and I look forward to participating in more research projects, learning more skills as well as continue to make even more memories with my Create Caribbean Family.