Chaya Ramsey gets partial scholarship to Howard University

Chaya Ramsey did nine CSEC subjects and is preparing for this year’s CAPE exams in biology, chemistry, physics, pure math and Caribbean studies. - Marvin Hamilton
Chaya Ramsey did nine CSEC subjects and is preparing for this year’s CAPE exams in biology, chemistry, physics, pure math and Caribbean studies. - Marvin Hamilton

Chaya Ramsey knows her life goals and has been diligently carving out a path that will eventually get her there. The 19-year-old St Joseph’s Convent, Port of Spain student is an aspiring forensic pathologist and has been awarded a Capstone Merit Scholarship to attend the illustrious Howard University in the US, where she will major in biology and minor in criminology.

Forensic pathologists are specially-trained physicians who perform autopsies on the bodies of people who have died suddenly, unexpectedly or violently to determine the the time, manner and cause of death – an area of expertise that is currently very much needed in TT.

Ramsey told WMN, “The scholarship is partial and is for US$15,000 per year, and I can put it towards any of my expenses, tuition or housing.

"This puts me in a bracket where I have to maintain a GPA above 3.3 and complete 15 credits at the end of each semester.

"I have also qualified for need-based aid, which brought the total to roughly about $23,000 per year,”

Ramsey applied to 14 universities and was accepted into 12. Howard was her first choice. She said Howard graduates, like activists TT-born Kwame Ture and US actresses Taraji P Henson and Phylicia Rashad, were among those who inspired her to apply there. Last Wednesday Rashad was appointed dean of the recently re-established College of Fine Arts.

Ramsey believes the university’s network will open up many opportunities for her because it is made up of like-minded people who want to make a difference in their communities, just as she is determined to reach her full potential and eventually give back to her community and country.

Chaya Ramsey has received a partial scholarship to study forensic pathology at the prestigious Howard University in the US. - Marvin Hamilton

“Howard University’s distinction as a pillar of not just excellence, but specifically black excellence, attracted me. Apart from its reputation and the notable alumni it has and continues to produce, I believe the university’s environment will allow me to develop and learn around like-minded people with similar backgrounds.

“One of the things I see a lot of around the world is that a lot of black children are overlooked and sometimes not given the opportunities for which they are qualified, and I too have experienced that. This opportunity is a dream come true for me and I have worked hard for it.”

Ever since she was a child, Ramsey has had a keen interest in science and maths. Her grandparents and aunts always felt she should be a doctor “but I get far too emotionally attached to people to become a surgeon.”

After researching forensic pathology, she felt it was something she could do, and of course her interest in television crime series like Criminal Minds and NCIS helped to steer her in that direction.

But to be sure this was what she wanted to do, she attended talks given by pathologist Dr Valery Alexandrov and did an internship at a funeral home to make sure she was comfortable with being around dead bodies and has what it takes to dissect them to search for disease, injury patterns or poisoning to determine cause of death.

“I was allowed to observe the embalming process, among other things. It was uncomfortable at first, and it was a bit eerie, but it wasn’t anything I wasn’t prepared for, and eventually I got used to it.

"I was never someone to be satisfied with surface-level explanations, and never drawn to typical professions, so it’s no surprise that this is what I’ve been drawn to.”

Ramsey understands there's a long road of hard work ahead, as she will have to do her first degree, a medical degree, then train for four to five years in anatomic, clinical and/or forensic pathology, followed by a year-long residency or fellowship in forensic pathology. But, she told WMN, hard work and working towards a goal are nothing new to her.

“I’ve been working hard in preparation for this. My years of hard work, sacrifice, and sleepless nights, balancing academics, sports, extra-curricular and community involvement both in and out of school, all the while maintaining a healthy social life, is paying off.”

Ramsey did nine CSEC subjects and is preparing for this year’s CAPE exams in biology, chemistry, physics, pure math and Caribbean studies.

“I wasn’t able to do the SATs, because it was cancelled as a result of the covid19 pandemic. Most of the universities to which I applied were test-optional, meaning the SAT was not a mandatory requirement.”

Outside of academics, she is on her school’s dragon boat team and is captain of the mixed team with Trinity College, Moka. She is house captain of Blessed Ann Marie, and is responsible for organising school sports days, interactive house events, and fund raisers.

“I’m also a volunteer tutor at Made TT, a non-profit organisation that gets members involved in activities such as beach clean ups, food drives, home work programme for SEA students, and volunteering in pet shelters.”

She played a major role in the Republic Bank’s Young Leaders programme at her school.

“It was a one-year programme during which we extended the and refurbished library that was already there, and donated books.”

Ramsey lives with her grandparents and her mother in Barataria. As for most people around the world, for them it was a rough year financially and otherwise. In order to survive, she said, their savings, some of which was set aside to help fund her studies, had to be utilised.

“The burden fell on my single mother, and as a result I’ve set up a Go Fund Me account to try to raise $120,000 to help cover at least my first year at Howard.”

Chaya Ramsey hopes to begin her undergraduate studies at Howard University later this year. She believes the university’s network will open up many opportunities for her because it is made up of like-minded people who want to make a difference in their communities. - Marvin Hamilton

While Howard is still deciding if there will be in-person classes next semester, Ramsey hopes to begin classes in August and is determined to not lose out on this opportunity of a lifetime.

“As the determined and unrelenting young woman I was raised to be, I set my sights on becoming a bison” – a representation of strength, stamina, agility, and perseverance and the university’s mascot – “and now I have the opportunity to be a baby bison, and I’m not giving up on that.”

Once she gets there, she said, she will apply for external scholarships and work as many jobs as she has to to supplement the scholarship funds.

“But for now, I’m just focusing on actually getting there.”

To contribute to Chaya Ramsey’s education fund visit

https://fundmetnt.com/campaign/help-chaya-hit-the-hilltop

Comments

"Chaya Ramsey gets partial scholarship to Howard University"

More in this section