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Opal Trim, the Central Bank of Barbados’ 2022 SPISE (Students Programme for Innovation in Science and Engineering) scholar, describes her summer completing the Caribbean Science Foundation’s programme as “amazing.”
The aspiring cancer researcher says despite the programme being conducted online due to COVID-19 regulations, she feels as though she didn’t miss out on much.
She built connections with students across the region, including Jamaica, Dominica, and St. Lucia, which was one of her goals entering the programme. They were able to speak and assist each other through video calls and text messages.
“Everyone was so nice”, Opal said with a huge smile on her face.
She especially mentions Blayne Montaque and Danelia Gordon from Jamaica, who she refers to as her closest friends in the SPISE programme.
Opal recalls when she was not familiar with Computer Programming and Electronics, one of the subjects taught during the programme, but Blayne helped her.
“It was hard but when you finally get your code to run, that is the best feeling ever, especially when it was giving you trouble and you spent hours on the code.”
She says she would not have made it through without Blayne.
Opal showed her gratitude by helping him with Biochemistry, which is her favourite subject.
Aside from meeting new friends and learning new subjects, she says she also developed a new skill set.
Before starting this programme, she would cram all of the work she learnt for the entire school year for exams, so while she was successful, she never remembered what she learnt.
Now, having completed the SPISE programme, Opal no longer crams as she ensures she fully understands the material before exams.
“We did a full semester of work in five weeks, and when it was time for final exams, you didn’t have time to cram. So, when you finished with your class, you went to office hours (meetings with teachers’ assistants after class) and you understood what you learnt in class there”.
This has helped her to not only understand her work and underlying concepts, but also to remember what she learnt well after the exam - a skill she believes will be an advantage to her in the future.
However, summer isn’t memorable if we aren’t faced with a few curveballs.
For Opal, her curveball was her new-found love for Physics.
Initially, she was not a huge fan of Physics or Calculus, but hoped to gain appreciation for the subjects while completing the programme.
She says because of the teaching style and the time given to understand the subject matter, Physics became a highlight of her time at SPISE.
“I was so surprised that it was going to be my favourite class.”
Regardless, she says it doesn’t affect her love for Biochemistry, nor her choice of career, but she believes it will alter the way in which she plans to reach her goal by studying “Physics on the side”.
“I had an entrepreneur teacher that said ‘the goal is to stay the same, but the way in which you get to your goal may change’.”
Upon completion of her studies at Queen’s College, Opal plans to study abroad and continue to pursue a career in Biochemistry. A career selflessly chosen to help people around the world who suffer from cancer.