Jul 19, 2026 Features / Columnists, News

(Kaieteur News) – My journey to Columbia University is not simply my story. It is what can happen when someone believes in a young person long before the rest of the world does.

When I received my admission letter from Columbia University, I did not immediately picture life in New York. I questioned whether I should accept it, because of the astronomical tuition fees. Then, I thought about all the nights my mother sat beside me while I studied as a child. I thought about the impoverished community I was raised in. I thought about the work I had done with STEM Guyana until that point and the children whose lives were significantly impacted because of opportunities we created. I found myself wanting to tell a different story. Not another story about hardship, but a story about investment, because I have come to believe that what changes lives is not simply resilience, but a combination of grit, opportunity, mentorship and belief.