|
MBA ‘10
University of the West Indies
PhD Student
“I always preferred to focus on my abilities rather than my disabilities”
Alicia is a blind Trinidadian who grew up in a society where the mindset was limited towards differently abled persons and their achievements. She said, “I always prefer to focus on my abilities rather than my disabilities.” Although she has faced many challenges, she was able to achieve her goals, with the aid and support of many organizations.
In pursuit of new hope, development and venture, Alicia began her international studies at Monroe College in 2006. While at Monroe, she was a part of the honors society. The wonderful administrative staff and faculty at Monroe College contributed immensely to her educational development. With their support and the aid of many others, she was able to graduate Summa Cum Laude in both the undergraduate and graduate program. Her field of study was Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resource Management.
Having these accomplishments, Alicia’s yearning for more knowledge became stronger. She wants to make a difference in the lives of other people with disabilities and to demonstrate that, with the proper training and opportunity, disabled individuals can compete with equal footing with non-disabled individuals and can contribute fully to the economic and social life of their communities.
Alicia was employed by the National Library in Trinidad in Tobago to provide others the computer access training that she has received, in the “train the trainer program”. Currently, she is the first blind person completing a PhD in Business Administration with a specialization in Human Resource Management at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine campus in Trinidad and Tobago.
She considers herself to be a trail blazer; working towards creating opportunity for minorities and motivating others who have been marginalized by societal negative beliefs, to put themselves to the test so that they can achieve their goals. |