ISLINGTON, St Mary — “When I was in high school, I said I wanted to be an architect — not knowing exactly what it was about. I thought it was only about designing and drawing,” Jadian Ricketts said with a wry smile.

Now, 15 years later, 27-year-old Ricketts holds a master’s degree in architecture, the first in her family to attain that level of education in any field.

The Islington, St Mary, native recalls showing signs of creativity from an early age.

“I would make a makeshift stage where my cousins and I would dance and have concerts, or make 3D glasses, mini holograms and a projector out of a shoe box and a magnifier, or cards to share with friends and family,” Ricketts reminisced.

She said these were all attempts to express herself, and she used any tool at hand, including the Children’s Own publication that she had access to as a student at Port Maria Primary School.

“I would paste stories in my scrapbook,” Ricketts told the Jamaica Observer.

She is sure her parents also had a hand in her creativity. According to Ricketts, her father, a skilled carpenter, taught her the value of attention to detail and accuracy. Meanwhile, her mother has been known to make magic with her hands — creating a delicious meal or baking in the kitchen — or by gently creating a hairdo.

The young architect was also shaped by her time at St Mary High School where her favourite subjects were visual arts, technical drawing, and geography. Becoming a member of the school’s cadet unit also helped her take a more disciplined approach to her schoolwork.

Ricketts dreamed of being an architect and when she was accepted to attend the University of Technology, Jamaica’s Caribbean School of Architecture she was elated. She described her time there as intense, and also an opportunity to create lasting friendships with peers who became like family to her. After gaining her bachelor’s degree Ricketts went on to pursue a master’s degree at University of Miami.

She faced financial challenges that sometimes made her wonder if she would have to drop out but she took out student loans made available to international students and leaned on relatives for support.

“I was able to make it through,” said a grateful Ricketts.

For her final-year thesis she explored tactical urbanism and how recycled material such as milk crates can support culturally responsive interventions that can be actively used in public spaces. Ricketts believes in the creation of community spaces that are people friendly and able to withstand the test of time as they bring users together.

“I’m especially interested in the intersection of design, storytelling and 3D technology using tools like VR and 3D fabrication to imagine more inclusive, engaging environments,” she told the Observer.

She explained that this was deeply influenced by her roots, culture, and a passion for community-driven designs.

In addition to architecture she also intends to explore other passions such as jewellery making, photography, painting and fashion design.

“These continue to shape my design approach, sharpening my eye for details and material expressions,” Ricketts said.

She is of the view that her journey from a farming community to where she is today was God’s plan, executed through a blend of faith, hard work, strong support from her family and a healthy dose of her belief in her dream.