AS an international student, Tracy Peltier faced the additional challenge of having to adjust to university life in a foreign country. The Commonwealth of Dominica native experienced culture shock on starting tertiary education in the Faculty of The Built Environment, University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech). “Most members of my cohort have had little to no experience outside of their own culture, both in terms of our food and the way we interact with and understand each other,” she recounted, adding that this posed some challenges in networking and empathy.

The high achiever obtained a first-class honours degree —Bachelor of Science in Urban and Regional Planning.

Despite the challenges and the additional trials of the switch to online classes and operational uncertainties brought on by the novel coronavirus pandemic, Peltier’s resilience and commitment to completing her degree kept her going. Initially wanting to be an architect, she pursued an associate degree in architectural technology, and worked with the Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs in her home country.

“It was only then that I started to learn about the importance of planning and development and how the lack thereof could impact a country socially, environmentally and economically,” she said. Her interest piqued, and believing she could make a greater contribution through this avenue with a broader scope of knowledge, Peltier changed her course of study, enrolling in the BSc in Urban and Regional Planning.

Peltier also shared that her faith and her family played major roles in keeping her motivated along her university journey.

“Of course, there were days when I felt like I wanted to give up, but to come this far without giving it my all would mean failure for me. I have learnt to be stronger than I have ever been in my life and all these challenges have allowed me to take responsibility and accountability for myself.”

In her advice to present UTech students, the high achiever counselled, “Be mentally prepared. It is also okay to ask many questions and acquire as much information as possible. Stay focused and don’t take anything for granted. Don’t go expecting anything from anyone. Go with an open mind. Most importantly, what you put in is what you get out of your education.”