The Tribune

TO walk the halls of the prestigious Harvard University and participate in the Graduate School of Design Career Discovery Programme is a dream of a lifetime for an employee at the College of The Bahamas (COB).

Tanya Bain, a graphic designer in the Office of Communication at COB, was one of only a handful of Bahamians awarded a full scholarship to participate in the six-week summer institute focusing on the disciplines of architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning and urban design.

“This whole process right now is a dream,” said Ms Bain when she received news that she was selected for the programme. “It is something that I can’t believe is happening to me. I am excited. I just can’t wait until I am in Boston and I have my hands in actual projects (and) to come back home and to produce something so amazing. I don’t know where this learning experience is going to take me, but all I know is that I am grateful for it and the only person who I can really thank is God.”

The scholarship is provided through the Sustainable Future For Exuma Project, a multi-year ecological planning project which focuses on three critical aspects: environmental management, planning and design. The project is in collaboration with the Bahamian government, the Bahamas National Trust and Harvard University Graduate School of Design (GSD). GSD continues to provide crucial advice and research expertise, as residents of Exuma, landowners and the government are continuing engagement on how to meet the needs of the community well into the future.

COB continues to strengthen its ties to Harvard through various research projects on several family islands. Most recently, students from the university conducted ethnographic studies on Mayaguana in an effort to preserve the island’s cultural heritage. While visiting New Providence, the team paid a courtesy call on College President Dr Rodney D Smith, also an alumnus of Harvard University.

Davinia Blair, Vice President of Advancement (interim) at COB, said she is proud to have a representation at the Career Discovery Programme and looks forward to the benefits it will have for the future University of the Bahamas, which seeks to promote diverse training and research opportunities.

“We have great expectations on how the information will be invested throughout the coming University of the Bahamas,” Ms Blair said.

Ms Bain’s concentration on urban design involves a series of lectures, discussions, drawing and hands-on workshops. During the Harvard programme, she and her classmates will visit architectural firms and glean from industry professionals.

“We will be working with professional firms within Boston, so who knows what I can pull from this person or that person, or working with one of the other students, they can teach me something that I can come back and give to COB,” Ms Bain said.

A lover of design, Ms Bain has a Bachelor’s degree in Web and Interactive Media Design from the Art Institute of Charlotte. Upon completing Career Discovery, she will receive a certificate from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design.