Detours are rarely comfortable, but they often shape us in ways we don’t expect. For 18-year-old Kiwaune Senior, a first-year operations management student at The University of the West Indies, Mona, his Brewing Success internship at Red Stripe was just that, a detour.

Instead of joining operations or production as he had imagined, he was placed in marketing. The experience pushed him out of his comfort zone but also gave him the chance to apply the principles of organisation and efficiency he loved, while discovering that his quiet strength could be a real asset.

The pace of marketing was fast, the deadlines constant, and every day brought something new. Campaigns like the launch of Red Stripe’s Mango-flavour and the Claim Yuh Crown promotion threw Kiwaune into the heart of planning and coordination.

What surprised him most wasn’t the workload, but the way it reshaped him.

“I’m generally a quiet person; I don’t usually speak up much. But this opportunity pushed me out of the background and into spaces where I had to interact, lead, and make myself heard,” said Senior.

For someone once content to stay silent, finding his voice became one of the most important turns on his journey.

One of his defining moments came during a promotional activation, where he was tasked with coordinating prize hand-overs.

Throughout the day, winners arrived in waves to collect their rewards and take part in photo opportunities. It could easily have become disorganised, but Kiwaune stepped forward. He gave instructions, managed expectations, and kept the process on track.

“Those who I was engaging and coordinating were much older than I am, but to ensure everything ran smoothly, I had to speak up,” Senior recalled.

For someone who once preferred to stay in the background, it was a turning point.

Through these challenges, Senior began to confront parts of himself he had long avoided. The fast pace and constant collaboration were uncomfortable for someone who preferred quiet work in the background. But in being stretched beyond his comfort zone, he started to see the bigger picture of business.

Watching how teams divided responsibilities, managed calls, and still pulled together under pressure gave him a new perspective on leadership. He realised it wasn’t always about commanding the room. Sometimes leadership is calm, steady, and deliberate.

“It taught me that leadership doesn’t always shout; it can be efficient, thoughtful, and confident,” reflected Senior.

This detour also forced him to think differently about career paths. Sitting in sessions with Red Stripe’s Managing Director Daaf van Tilburg, he heard how a career that began in engineering could evolve into leading one of Jamaica’s most recognisable companies.

For Senior, already struggling with the weight of charting his own next steps, that story mattered. It reminded him that careers are not fixed lines but journeys shaped by detours and pivots.

Even though he still enjoys the production side, his experience has opened his mind to the idea that his path may bend, shift, and ultimately lead somewhere he had not first imagined.

By the end of the six weeks Senior had grown more confident in asking questions, starting conversations, and contributing ideas.

The internship reshaped how he saw himself, proving that his quiet nature could be an advantage rather than a barrier. “If you plan to step into a leadership role as a quiet person, use your quietness as a weapon,” said Senior.

“Observe, listen, and find ways to make processes better for yourself and others. With time, you’ll find your voice in any room,” added Senior.

Marketing may not have been his destination, but for Senior, it was the detour that revealed his strength, sharpened his purpose, and unlocked his voice.