COSTAATT: The right education choice on your path to success

The College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago (COSTAATT) has been driven by its mission to provide access to tertiary education for a wide cross section of persons who may not have otherwise had an opportunity to realise their career goals and dreams. Through the establishment of campuses across the country, the design of flexible, market-driven and responsive education and training programmes, and the delivery of a comprehensive range of student support services, COSTAATT has created a pathway to success for students coming from diverse backgrounds.

Small village to big world

COSTAATT alumna and feature speaker at the college’s 2018 graduation ceremonies, Akeela Marin, is a graduate of the BA Mass Communications programme. Akeela describes herself as a “village girl,” having grown up in Navet Village, Rio Claro. She enrolled in COSTAATT in 2013 and from there her world opened up, as she seized the opportunities provided to develop and perfect her public speaking and debating skills.

After a memorable performance as a member of the COSTAATT team that won the inaugural Integrity Commission’s tertiary education debates competition, Marin continued to move forward, winning titles and accolades in local, regional and international fora. She is now internationally ranked as the third best public speaker amongst university students in the world.

Pushing beyond disabilities

Soraya Aziz, the 2018 bachelor’s level class valedictorian, came to COSTAATT to pursue the AAS Foreign Languages for Business – Spanish, as part of a rehabilitation process for a neurological disorder which she had suffered. The study of a foreign language helped Aziz to create new neural pathways and aided in her complete recovery. She credits the strong student support systems and caring faculty and staff as key to her recovery and her academic success. She is now embarking on a brand new career as owner of a training company, a shining example of how COSTAATT’s college-wide approach to entrepreneurship education creates self-employment capacity for all its graduates.

Facilitating access beyond our shores

Reaching beyond our shores, COSTAATT also contributes to regional human resource development by providing educational access to Caricom citizens in tertiary level programmes that are not available in their home countries. Janella Williams, the 2018 valedictorian for the School of Nursing, Health and Environmental Studies, came to COSTAATT from Antigua to pursue the AAS Environmental Health programme. Currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in environmental health at the College, Williams plans to return to Antigua to continue her career in the field of public health.

COSTAATT is committed to creating opportunities for anyone seeking to move forward and take the next step in their career and development.