We have all heard the saying, "College isn't for everyone." It is important for you to know that this statement is a lie. Education beyond the 12th grade is for you. It is important for your personal development and for our nation that everyone knows and believes that taking classes, learning, growing after high school graduation is key to your survival and success.
Last month, the United States Embassy in partnership with The Lyford Cay Foundation and The College of The Bahamas hosted school counselors and principals and over 1,000 students and parents in college readiness seminars. During the seminars, the presenters highlighted the importance of transforming how people think about college.
College can be a six-month certification program, a two-year institution, a weekend program, a vocational class, distance education courses or a four-year institution. It is all those things and more, based on what you want to achieve. While one type of experience may not be for everyone, surely one of the continuing education programs can help Bahamians achieve personal and professional goals.
It is important to know that Bahamians are successful at attending and graduating from the various college environments. In particular, Bahamians do very well at American colleges and universities no matter their backgrounds, experience and interests. If those people could do it, so can you.
Bahamians from various walks of life shared their experiences studying in The United States. They gladly spoke about their opportunities and successes. They are typical Bahamians - people from single-parent homes, people who had to work many jobs to afford college, people who knew what they wanted to study and people who are first generation college students.

Leevan Sands
World-class triple jumper Leevan 'Superman' Sands went to Temple Christian High School but finished his last two years at Florida Air Academy in Melbourne, FL. He then went on to graduate in 2005 with a bachelor of arts degree in adult education from Auburn University.
Leevan indicated that growing up in The Bahamas provided him with the foundation he needed academically and as a blossoming athlete. He recalled that, "When the opportunity to finish my schooling abroad was made available, as apprehensive as I was, I knew that it would allow me opportunities that I may not have received at home. I left The Bahamas an average student, but after being exposed to the American educational system, I graduated from both high school and college in the U.S. with scholastic honors."

Kishan Munroe
Renowned artist Kishan Munroe earned a bachelor of fine arts in visual effect and master's in fine arts in painting from Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and worked in the United States for a year after he graduated. Kishan said that studying at SCAD showed him the possibilities of the art market. He went to an international school so it was a microcosm of the cultural world. He developed a sensitivity and respect for the beliefs and customs of others.
Kishan currently has an exhibit at the National Art Gallery and will deliver an art lecture for the American Corner at The College of The Bahamas on February 25.

Shaness Kemp
Some of you may know Shaness Kemp from the very popular YouTube music video featuring her dancing through the Straw Market and Pompey Square to Pharrell's song "Happy".
Shaness is a dancer, choreographer and teacher. She graduated from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA with bachelor of fine arts in 2008 and a master's in fine arts in 2012. She said that studying in the United States "changed my life by presenting opportunities that I probably would not have had otherwise. Additionally, I was exposed to various genres of dance and unique ways of moving that truly informed my artistry for the better."

Julian E. Thompson
Julian E. Thompson graduated from Daytona Beach Community College and Florida A&M University: "Each of my alma maters gave me the tools needed to be successful, but I first need to have the inner drive to want to be a success professionally and personally."
Julian who studied journalism is one of the few Bahamians who can say, "My biggest accomplishment was winning an Emmy with my colleagues at DCTV Channel 23 in Atlanta, GA. The story was our episode dealing with the funeral of Coretta King, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s wife."

Noelle Alicia Rolle
Noelle Alicia Rolle is currently in an internal medicine residency at Harlem Hospital Center in New York. Noelle said: "There are more opportunities for me here in terms of future sub-specialties and eventual career opportunities, as being board certified in a certain area is recognized internationally. I'm learning first-world medicine, which is more evidence-based and less about cost restrictions. It has also helped me appreciate what we have at home."

Fabian Fernander
Fabian Fernander completed a dual engineering degree program from two institutions - Morehouse College and Rochester Institute of Technology. Offering advice for students considering American colleges, Fabian said: "Consider your options wisely. Think about long-term gains, as opposed to short-term fun. Read trade magazines and find out which colleges are producing the best grads and are constantly enriching their programs. If at all possible, visit the colleges first and speak with students in your expected major, teachers and faculty outside."

Mikia Carter
Mikia Carter, who is currently studying at Philander Smith College and will graduate in 2014, said she became more exposed, open minded, and learned a great deal about herself and others because of her time at her college in Arkansas: "My biggest accomplishment would probably be gaining a fellowship at the University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business for the inaugural Summer Institute for Emerging Managers and Leaders."

Tashfi Hanchell
Tashfi Hanchell graduated from Grand Bahama Catholic High School and went on to study Biology at Lincoln University in Oxford, PA: "This is a time to experience life, so be open to new things. I became more of an extrovert. Being outside of my culture gave me the opportunity to express myself without reservation."

Jonathan Ryan Moseley
Jonathan Ryan Moseley attended La Salle University in Philadelphia, PA and graduated with a computer science bachelor degree and a computer information science master's degree.
While getting married has been his greatest accomplishment, he is grateful for his time at La Salle University because it is not only where he met his wife, but where he was afforded various professional development opportunities. He wants Bahamian students to understand that "the name of the institution is not the most important thing. Find an institution that can provide the best professional avenue to what you would like to accomplish in life".

Brittany Major
Brittany Major studied biomedical laboratory sciences at Michigan State University (MSU) and is currently completing an internship in Washington, D.C. for Medical Technology. Brittany revealed this about studying at MSU: "It influenced me a lot professionally because the field I chose is not a very common one, so not many schools had the program; neither did Nassau. However, MSU had so many choices for majors and after taking a few classes and doing some research in the field, I realized that medical technology was a perfect fit for me. If I had never studied in the United States, I don't think I would have ever realized that this was the profession for me."
These Bahamians, and so many more, met and surpassed their goals. They created international networks for academic and professional support.

o EducationUSA is a network of hundreds of advising centers in 170 countries, where millions of international students each year find accurate, comprehensive and current information about how to apply to accredited U.S. college and universities.

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