Tag: Dedicated

WESTERN BUREAU:

A slow start did not dictate Dr Aubrey Stewart’s journey.

Hailing from the inner-city community of Albion Lane in Montego Bay, St James, he struggled through poverty and gun violence.

Among the atrocities he faced was seeing his family’s home being firebombed and shot at during gang violence in 2007, resulting in his mother and grandmother being injured.

Stewart, who then regarded himself as “a slow learner” due to his academic struggles while attending Cornwall College, which was a stone’s throw from his home, was nonetheless ambitious and hungry to succeed.

Now, his aspirations and tenacity have paid off despite the struggles.

Stewart, who is now 31, and who was a Fulbright Scholarship recipient, recently completed a PhD in public policy, specialising in crime policy evaluation and program design, at Florida International University (FIU).

In a recent interview with The Gleaner, Stewart reminisced on his academic journey from Cornwall College to FIU. While explaining that he was never a high achiever during high school, Stewart stated that joining the cadets helped to develop his sense of discipline, which brought him to obtain three university degrees. But, before heading off to university, Stewart had to tackle the hurdles of completing high school.

‘Cadet made me more disciplined’

“I was one of the first persons in my area to attend Cornwall College and then, after that, it was like a ripple effect. Other young boys were getting the opportunity to attend Cornwall. I was not necessarily a high achiever there. I was in cadet and did a lot of community service, so I would say that my high school journey started very slow, but cadet made me a lot more disciplined and I started focusing on school. I realised that my grades started getting a little bit better,” Stewart said.

Though his Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) grades weren’t impressive, Stewart worked hard to land a place at The University of West Indies Western Jamaica Campus (WJC), where he blossomed while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in political leadership, strategy and management.

“I never got all the ones that my classmates were getting. Mi get the one, two, three, four and five. I couldn’t afford to attend sixth form at Cornwall. Some persons were giving scholarships and because of my discipline and community service they decided to award me with sponsorship so I could attend sixth form,” Stewart said.

“I went to UWI WJC and my grades started getting better. I was campus chairman … and I realised that I actually could do this. The ones and fives I used to get in high school didn’t matter anymore.”

While pursuing his undergraduate studies, Stewart was involved in several community-based initiatives. He maintained a strong relationship with his community and further honed his skills. He pursued a master’s degree in comparative politics and political theory through a partnership with UWI and the University of Cambridge.

He later worked as a data scientist and research fellow in the Ministry of National Security and the Office of the Prime Minister in Jamaica before receiving the Fulbright Scholarship in 2021. During his doctoral studies, Stewart maintained a 4.0 grade point average and was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi honour society, the oldest academic society in the United States (US). He is now proud of the strides he has made.

“I started pretty slow because I didn’t have an academic support system. I think I was pretty slow because, in grade nine, I would shy away from just reading in class. I didn’t want to read because the boys would laugh at me. It was just a journey but I am proud and grateful. I would not change anything about my growing up. It was pretty hard but I would not change it. There are many young people in inner-city communities, just like Albion Lane, and they are slow but that is not it for them. Sometimes it just takes one opportunity to open many more gates.”

Stewart further stated that his family is elated by his achievements.

“They are extremely happy for me. Maybe not all of my family members understand what a PhD means or what it entails, but they are proud,” he said.

In the meantime, Stewart has since returned home with an important mission ahead. He told The Gleaner that he refused an opportunity to become a professor in the US due to his love and dedication to Jamaica.

“I got an opportunity in the US to be a professor but decided to turn down the opportunity and come to Jamaica … to serve my country [as a] consultant working on national security projects.”

With the knowledge gained over the years, Stewart is aiming to make an impact in the country’s national security ministry. His PhD dissertation focused heavily on crime prevention policies implemented in Caribbean countries and ways to improve on those initiatives.

“What I have been doing in my dissertation studies is to create tailored crime prevention policies and initiatives that this government and Caribbean governments can use to enhance their security apparatus. I have evaluated all the different types of policies that Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago have implemented, and also policies in other Latin American countries to see how effective they have been. That’s the type of work that I have been doing and I’ll be putting some of that in place in Jamaica,” he said.

rochelle.clayton@gleanerjm.com