Four years ago, Roshelle Pinnock was crumbling under the pressure of balancing the demands of work and school, and found herself facing a daunting 1.2 GPA. Today, in a stunning turnaround, that same student has graduated and is preparing to take a place in a graduate programme in the United Kingdom.

The remarkable achievement is through the radio producer’s grit and hard work, which included her tuning into her lectures while on air.

“I mean, to be graduating now… is such an improvement for me,” the 26-year-old told Observer Online, noting that “Most people would have, you know, kind of called it quits.”

Pinnock began her educational journey in 2021. She was determined to get a college degree, fuelled by the example set by her family.

“Everybody in my family went to NCU (Northern Caribbean University) and everybody graduated,” she explained.

So she began her degree in Communication with an emphasis on Television at NCU in Manchester. In 2022, she secured an internship at Nationwide News Network, however the reality of reading for a degree while working a 9 to 5 soon caught up with her.

“I was frustrated and just sad,” Pinnock said.

She added that she was hit hard by “the reality of coming to university and realising that you’re not being spoon-fed.”

Pinnock continued, “Like you’re just out there by yourself, and you have to figure all of this out, and at the same time, I’m working.  So I was just like, I don’t really have the time; I don’t think these lecturers are understanding, [I’m] juggling everything at once.”

By 2022, Pinnock says, she was exhausted trying to balance school and work, and was ready to quit.

“In 2022 is when I had that brief difficulty where I was just failing almost every class so bad,” she recounted. “I was about to drop out.”

She said encouraging words from her academic advisor motivated her to not give up her studies.

“She was like, ‘no, I see you have a real talent for this. Keep going,’” Pinnock explained.

Thoughts of her family also fired Pinnock up.

“Everybody in my family has a degree and up to a master’s level, I’m the only one who was left. And I was just like, ‘ain’t no way I’m going out like this,’” she said with a laugh.

With her advisor’s support, Pinnock explained, she had to teach herself strict time management even if it meant tuning in to lectures while on live radio.

“I kind of just started doing a schedule from there. So I started working based off my school timetable… It was a lot of doing classes in the studio while being on air, lot of, ‘okay, work is done, but I can’t leave because the internet connection is going to be crappy on the road’ So I sit in the car and do the classes. It was a bunch of that,” she explained, adding “it was long, but I’m glad it’s done.”

Looking back, Pinnock says she is immensely proud of herself.

“When you see that kind of disappointment, you know, 1.2 GPA, people tie academic success and failure very much to themselves,” she said.

In 2025, she secured a position as producer of The Burgerman Show at Edge 105, which gave her even more confidence.

“When I got the job, it was like a big motivation for me to say, I can really do this. You know, if I’m already in the working world and I’m the only producer at Edge producing for The Burgerman Show every single day, and we’re like one of the number one radio shows in the afternoon. I can more than do this university thing and come out with a bang,” she said.

She highlighted that while trying to balance school, her job transition was also hard, describing it as riding without training wheels. Looking back now, it is one more obstacle she is grateful for.

“It has given me the experience…I know how to do sound. I know how to mix music, I know how to use the entire [sound] board. I produce, I present. I even got the opportunity to read the news a few times, which is great for me. So it has really given me an edge above all in everything that I do and I think that is why I’m so proud now, graduating.”

She added: “Until graduation day, there were, I would say, a few lecturers who still believe that I’m just a pretty face, but nothing in my brain.”

With her admission to University College London, for a graduate programme already confirmed, Pinnock has eyes on the future.

“I’ve always seen myself as somebody who will be a household name.  I would love to be a TV personality before my time where I go back to the ground, that’s ultimately where I see myself.”

Pinnock takes this inspiration from some of the biggest names in Jamaican media.

“I try my best to channel the class of Terri-Karelle but the energy of Miss Kitty, I really look up to them,” she said.

Despite her own struggles, Pinnock is an advocate for education for young women. Reflecting on advice she would give herself in 2021, the producer said: “I think what I would tell myself is, ‘girl, the opportunities that are ahead of you are beyond your imagination so don’t stop. Just keep going, it’s all for a purpose.’  And to the other young ladies out there…really invest in yourself because once you do, no one can take that away from you. Your education is always going to be yours and you can utilise education in whichever field you’d like to.”

While she urged young people to seek help with their struggles, the producer reminded too that the onus is always on ourselves to succeed

“Talk about it to somebody and tell them exactly what you’re going through…with whoever you think might be necessary.  That way, you can get some of the pressure off of you. But holistically, the work is upon you. You have to have mental strength for yourself. And you have to know your why as to why you’re going to be doing this,” she urged.

EDITOR’S NOTE: An earlier version of this article stated that Roshelle Pinnock graduated cum laude. It has since been brought to our attention that the degree was in fact not cum laude.