Double celebration

Tawayne Spence, a recent honours graduate with two undergraduate degrees in business administration and nursing, aspires to serve as an example to others that anything is possible if one sets their mind to it.

“Persons look at it, like, ‘How did you do it?’, but I’m saying that the human mind and the human spirit can do so much if you just do it,” the 25-year-old told The Gleaner, characterising himself as a highly motivated and determined individual who has always been ambitious to accomplish great things.

Spence attended the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC) and the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech), while he worked full time at a business process outsourcing (BPO) company.

Worth it

He said that although it was a challenge balancing work and school life, in the end, it was all worth it.

“I just want to be an inspiration for others, that, no matter where you’re coming from or how rough you think the journey is, it will get better ... . No one should give up on what they want to do or whatever industry they want to break into. If you wanna do it, you can do it and just keep pushing, even if no one believes in you,” he said.

Spence was born in central Kingston and spent most of his life in Montego Bay, St James.

He was a visual and performing arts student while at Herbert Morrison Technical High School and had envisioned himself becoming a film director, screenwriter or playwright, given his love for movies.

He would often enter the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission competitions, performing cultural dances and dub poetry.

“But things took a turn,” he expressed, noting that his initial dreams were shelved as his passion for nursing began to blossom.

For most of his younger years, Spence spent time with his blind great-grandmother, who played a significant role in raising him.

He recalled spending holidays at her house in Hurlock, St James, and that the rural community had a large population of senior citizens requiring assistance from their relatives.

He would at times accompany her to doctor’s appointments, or visit her at the hospital when she was admitted.

While there, Spence said he would often notice that all the nurses were women. One day, as a young boy, he stopped one of the nurses to enquire whether the profession was exclusive to women.

After learning that this was not the case, he harboured thoughts of becoming one of the few male nurses in these healthcare facilities.

“I think I was watching [news] at the time when [Health Minister] Dr Christopher Tufton spoke about the shortage of nurses. My great-grandmother had passed away and I realised that I always wanted to do something that would cause an impact or a change,” he told The Gleaner.

Although only acquiring Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) subjects geared towards the arts, Spence was determined to become a healthcare professional and applied to UTech and other institutions in the Corporate Area to pursue nursing.

“Obviously, [they all] said no ... because ... I did not have any science subjects at the time,” he said, noting that he had to return to school.

Spence also enrolled at UCC for a degree in business administration, with a plan to reapply to UTech after completing his science CSEC studies.

“I didn’t know how I was going to pay the tuition because it was very expensive, but I remember seeing an advertisement on the governor general’s website about the Summer of Service [scholarship programme]. I signed up for that and, fortunately, I was accepted and I did all my service at the St James Infirmary and that’s how I was able to get a scholarship to pursue nursing,” he said.

He would also gain scholarships from other sources such as Sagicor, Jamaica National, EduCom Co-operative Credit Union and others to help finance his journey through both institutions.

“Sometimes I don’t even know how I did it,” he said, adding it was particularly challenging studying for exams for at least 12 courses each semester.

At the same time, he was still working at the BPO firm as before applying to start his degree, he had notified his employers and indicated that he would prefer working the night shift, which ran from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m., so that he could attend classes.

“They were very flexible and accommodating in terms of my schedule,” he told The Gleaner.

Prioritise sleep

With many of his hours in the day split between work and school, one might think that Spence spent late nights studying, but this was not the case, as he explained that it was also important to prioritise sleep.

“I could not hold so much information, so I had to ensure that I paid attention in class. I attended every lecture and I watched all the presentations because when it came to exams, I did not have the time to go through all the courses and all the content,” he explained.

And even though things seemed daunting at times, Spence said he enjoyed the emotional high it gave him.

He noted that good time management and a spiritual connection with God were key to his success.

He suggested that in addition, people should surround themselves with others who can help to uplift them and are positive-minded and highly motivated to help them achieve their goals.

Now a supervisor at the call centre, which will be celebrating its five-year anniversary next year, he said that his next step involves returning to school to specialise in becoming a nurse anaesthetist and to serve within the public health system.

asha.wilks@gleanerjm.com