Five students. Different journeys. A shared experience of finding their place at USC.
On August 27, 2026, as the University of the Southern Caribbean (USC) marked its 99th anniversary, a new generation of USCians was beginning its own chapter in the institution’s history.
The Class of 2030, USC’s historic 100th intake of new students, arrives at a particularly significant moment. With the University preparing to celebrate 100 years of Christian higher education in 2027, these students will be among those carrying its legacy into a second century.
For some, the journey has meant leaving their home countries and families behind. Others are navigating the transition from secondary school or discovering a different side of university life after beginning their studies at USC’s extension campuses.
As the first semester progresses, five students reflect on the decisions that brought them to USC, the experiences that have surprised or challenged them, and their aspirations for the years ahead.
Programme: Bachelor of Science in Computing, Software Systems Emphasis
Country: Saint Lucia
Rihan Joseph had originally planned to attend a community college in Saint Lucia. That changed during her secondary-school years when she discovered USC and began following the University’s activities online.
Having attended Adventist primary and secondary schools, she was already interested in continuing her education within the Adventist system. USC’s social media presence gave her a glimpse of what university life could offer.
“I started following the social media pages, watching the online streams. And it’s like, this experience would definitely be better than the community college experience.”
She eventually enrolled through USC’s Saint Lucia extension campus before transferring to Main Campus in Trinidad, where she encountered a markedly different environment.
At the extension campus, classes sometimes comprised only six to ten students, with few extracurricular activities. Main Campus, by comparison, offered the active student life she had watched from afar.
“My main expectation was just to have fun, to make friends, to be social,” she explained. “I feel like this is the last child-like experience I can have, because after that, life gets real.”
At 18, Rihan is conscious that graduation will bring new responsibilities. For now, she wants to enjoy the opportunities available to her while completing her degree.
She has joined HIS LUV, a campus ministry group, and the GNOSTAI Club, which brings together students interested in science and technology. Although managing meetings and other commitments can be demanding, she welcomes the opportunities to participate.
“Being part of ministry is a gift. It’s a blessing. And meeting people, the social aspect of it, it’s been fun.”
One area in which Rihan is deliberately challenging herself is public speaking. She also hopes to improve her singing, having previously participated in church activities in Saint Lucia but sometimes struggled with confidence.
“I try to put myself out there when I’m asked to do something at USC, you know, say yes. Hopefully, by the time I’m done, I will be at the level that I want to be in these two areas.”
Professionally, Rihan is still exploring her options. Software engineering is one possibility, but teaching remains a longstanding interest.
“I have always wanted to be a teacher,” she shared. “I think the long-term goal is still education, eventually, somewhere down the line.”
For now, she is content to explore where her interests in technology and education might lead, while making the most of the campus experience she had once known only through a screen.
Programme: Bachelor of Science in Biology
Country: Saint Lucia
When Meia Joseph’s mother and brother returned to Saint Lucia after accompanying her to Trinidad, the reality of living away from home became overwhelming.
“My mother and brother actually came up with me,” she recalled. “So seeing them going and leaving me there, I was like, oh my gosh!”
Although Meia had already begun her studies at USC’s Saint Lucia extension campus, relocating to Main Campus meant leaving the familiarity of home and adjusting to a new environment.
“It was very hard, actually. I used to cry so much.”
She worried about whether she would be able to socialise and establish friendships, but those concerns gradually diminished as she became more comfortable on campus.
“I was afraid I wouldn’t make friends, I wouldn’t socialise, but then now I’m walking around and it’s like I’ve been here. So it’s been a great experience.”
Her decision to attend USC had been influenced by an earlier experience at a community college in Saint Lucia. She felt that the institution was not providing the spiritual environment or academic experience she wanted.
“I realised that place is not for me. That place will not draw me closer to God,” she explained.
At USC, Meia has found particular encouragement in the approachability of her lecturers. Reflecting on her community college experience, where she felt that lecturers showed limited interest in helping students understand their coursework, she appreciates the greater engagement and support she has encountered at USC.
At the Saint Lucia extension campus, her studies had focused primarily on general education courses. Now undertaking more specialised Biology coursework at Main Campus, she values having lecturers who take time to explain difficult concepts and make themselves available when students need assistance.
“They explain, they tell me I could always contact them if I cannot understand the topic,” she said.
Biology has brought its share of demanding assignments, and Meia has found some humour in the shared frustrations of her classmates. She has also observed how academic challenges can bring students together, even those who were not previously close.
Outside the classroom, she participates in campus activities alongside her roommate and longtime friend, Rihan Joseph.
Meia intends to pursue medicine after completing her degree. She also wants her university experience to help her become a more confident communicator, capable of encouraging others as she has been encouraged.
“To be able to speak publicly. Be a little more confident in myself and what I say. Make connections, be able to inspire people the same way people inspired me.”
It is a considerable change in outlook for someone who, only weeks earlier, feared that living away from home might leave her feeling isolated.
Programme: Psychology
Country: Trinidad and Tobago
For Kassi-ana Salina, university has required a level of academic discipline unlike anything she encountered at secondary school.
A graduate of El Dorado East Secondary School, she chose to study Psychology at USC because of her longstanding desire to make a positive difference in children’s lives.
Her initial weeks have been interesting but tiring, with more complex coursework and a heavier workload than she had anticipated. Long waits for the university shuttle have also made her daily commute particularly exhausting.
Among her greatest challenges has been managing assignments while overcoming a tendency to procrastinate. Fortunately, she has found encouragement among classmates who motivate one another to remain focused on their studies.
She describes her peers as “nice and welcoming” and credits their support with helping her develop better academic habits.
“What I learnt is that it’s okay to be behind and at least try to catch up,” she reflected.
Kassi-ana is also making room for activities beyond her studies. She has joined USC’s cheerleading team and is considering becoming involved in volleyball and netball, interests that have given her opportunities to meet people and become more comfortable forming friendships.
As she progresses through her degree, she hopes to achieve strong academic results and develop lasting relationships. She is also learning to approach setbacks with greater patience, recognising that adjusting to university requires persistence rather than immediate perfection.
Programme: Bachelor of Science in Computing
Country: Trinidad and Tobago
Angelo St Clair has been interested in computing since childhood, so the opportunity to pursue the subject at USC within a Christian university environment appealed to him.
A former student of El Dorado East Secondary School, Angelo has enjoyed discovering new concepts in his Computing courses, particularly when working alongside classmates to understand unfamiliar material.
“It’s everything a university should be,” he said of his experience so far.
His first weeks have been fun and interesting, although the demands of university life have also left him tired at times.
Basketball has become an important part of his routine. Since joining the university team, he has developed friendships with fellow players while continuing to improve his skills on the court.
Balancing those commitments with coursework, however, has highlighted an area in which he needs to improve.
Time management remains Angelo’s greatest challenge, and he is working to establish habits that will allow him to meet his academic responsibilities without sacrificing the activities he enjoys.
He anticipates that the remainder of the semester will be demanding, but his enthusiasm for Computing remains strong. He is particularly interested in expanding his technical knowledge and developing the abilities he will need as his studies progress.
Angelo has also been encouraged by the welcoming atmosphere at USC, describing the people he has encountered as “kind and helpful.”
Between the classroom and the basketball court, he is discovering how much university life has to offer and learning to manage the responsibilities that come with it.
Programme: Bachelor of Business Administration in Human Resource Management
Country: Suriname
For Jeremiah Burgzorg, coming to USC meant confronting a decision he had been putting off since he was 16 years old.
“My parents recommended USC, but I was too scared because I’m an only child. I’ve been living with my parents my whole life, and it was like a jump to go and live alone in another country, not speaking the language I’m used to.”
Instead, Jeremiah enrolled at a university in Suriname. As a Seventh-day Adventist, however, he encountered difficulties when several of his major classes were scheduled for Friday evenings and Saturday mornings. Despite seeking an accommodation through his local Adventist mission, the scheduling conflict remained unresolved, and his grades began to suffer.
“I know I’m a hardworking student,” he recalled. “So I prayed about it.”
Eventually, he reconsidered the university his parents had suggested years earlier.
“Even though I didn’t want to come at first, I still came because study goes first. Jesus guided me to this path.”
His arrival at USC brought several unfamiliar experiences, including living away from his parents and sharing accommodation with other students for the first time.
Having grown up as an only child, Jeremiah initially welcomed the prospect of sharing living quarters with a roommate and two suitemates.
“I always wanted to have a brother or a sister, so it was fun,” he recalled. “But then it became a little too much because I had to get used to it.”
Establishing personal boundaries helped him settle into residence life. What surprised him more, however, was how quickly his social circle expanded.
“In my head, I was like, I don’t want to make any friends, only school. But now that I’m here, the friends, they come, come and come!”
The University’s spiritual environment has also made an impression. Jeremiah remembers attending church on campus during his first week and being struck by the worship experience and the warmth of the congregation.
“The people here, they approach you. I was never used to that. They approach you, ask you what you’re studying, what your name is.”
He has particularly appreciated opportunities for conversations about faith with other young men in his residence hall, where discussions extend to subjects they might not ordinarily address.
Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, Jeremiah intends to apply his studies to his father’s business in Suriname, particularly in human resource management. He is also considering establishing businesses of his own.
In the meantime, studying alongside people from different cultural backgrounds is broadening his perspective and introducing him to relationships and experiences he had not anticipated when he reluctantly agreed to leave home.
Their journeys to USC may differ, but these five students share a determination to make the most of their university experience. As USC approaches its centennial, the Class of 2030 is finding its place within the University’s continuing story, bringing new aspirations and perspectives to a legacy nearly 100 years in the making.
