The Caribbean women who made my college experience worth

There is no HIS story unless you tell HER story, Part VI: My College Caribbean Connection (The Caribbean women who made my college experience worth while)

Anyone who knew me in College knows that I was a HOT MESS! I was loud! I had absolutely NO sense of style (I was wearing out of style glasses for about 2 years)! And, in most situations, I was clueless.

And my sophomore year was particularly tough. To start, my high school buddy who attended UT with me our freshmen year decided to not come back. As a result, I had to ride the bus from Little Rock (AR) to Tampa (FL) (24 hours on the bus). Also, one of my brothers from another mother (and college roommate) decided not to return. And to top it off, I was starting my first year as a Resident Assistant.

So, I was coming back to school under new circumstances and new responsibilities and feeling like I

had to meet new friends.

Little did I know that a chance encounter and friendship with a student from Aruba would open the doors to what would become a huge part of my support network of Caribbean women for the next 3 years.

Back in the day, at the University of Tampa, the student population was roughly 1600 students with about 5% minority. The vast majority of the persons of color (with the exception of the Basketball team) were from the Caribbean. So meeting and befriending someone from the Caribbean opened me up to a whole new world. And in the process, I gained a Support System of Caribbean women who kept me on my toes.

And for a country kid from southeast Arkansas, this situation presented a wealth of experience. I learned how to dance to Meringue, Salsa, Calypso, Soca and Dance Hall. I learned quickly about the importance of ‘country pride’ (FYI….all Caribbean nations are NOT alike. I learned that quick). And we won’t even talk about the food! AWESOME!

But the best part was the LOVE and SUPPORT! I remember being encouraged to not being upset because of my study habits. I still remember being told that I needed to eat real food as opposed to cereal all the time (I STILL remember that comment because I had horrible eating habits). They all supported my fraternity activities as well as me pledging. They didn’t put up with any of my noise (I have never been told off in so many dialects in my life. Lol).

You never know where your support network and for someone who had never heard of the Cayman Islands, Bahamas, Jamaica, St. Maarten, and the countless other wonderful Caribbean nations, I am grateful to have had the chance to have my life influenced by these great women,

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