The Tribune

By PEANDRA PRATT

Choosing a college and adjusting to life on campus, especially when that campus is abroad, is something many young students struggle with after graduating from high school.

However, for Ashley Thompson, a first year Biology major who has already distinguished herself, attending the College of Saint Benedict (CSB) in Minnesota has proven fortuitus and rewarding.

The daughter of Colin and Lynette Thompson, Ashley graduated as head girl and valedictorian at Saint John’s College. And now, she has earned the distinction of being on the dean’s list for the 2016 spring semester at her college.

While she has experienced academic and personal success at CSB in her first year, she admits that the liberal arts women’s college was not her first choice for tertiary education.

“Initially, St Ben’s wasn’t one of my top choices. It was actually the last school I applied to. I didn’t even consider it until I attended a college fair in November of my senior year of high school, which was pretty late considering I had finished most of my applications by then,” said Ashley.

However, she decided to apply to CSB anyway. At CSB, she wasn’t only accepted, but she also received a very generous scholarship from the school. Despite all of this, Ashley said she was still not 100 per cent sold on the school until she visited again with a few of her friends who were also accepted.

But the main thing that sealed the deal for her was finding out that her grandfather, whom she calls her “biggest inspiration”, was an alumni of Saint John’s University, CSB’s partner college for men.

“To know that I could attend the same university and walk the same paths that he did helps me feel connected to him. I like to think that he’s proud of me, that’s what keeps me going,” she said.

A first year major in Biology at CSB, Ashley said her love for the subject developed in 10th grade, and she credits her biology teacher with igniting this interest in her.

“I started taking biology in the 10th grade and loved it ever since. My teacher, Sean Thompson-Palmer, really had a hand in that because he was so passionate about it. I could tell he genuinely wanted his students to learn. I truly enjoyed learning in his class,” she said.

“I’ve loved biology since high school and did really well in it, so I thought I’d pursue something I enjoyed and excelled in.”

Besides Biology, Ashley said that she thoroughly enjoys her psychology and Spanish classes, which was surprising to her because she took French throughout high school and only took Spanish because she wanted to challenge herself.

A proud Bahamian, Ashley said she liked bringing her culture to Minnesota through the Archipelago Association, a Caribbean club on campus of which she will be junior co-chairperson this upcoming semester. She added that the club’s spring gala was a major highlight of her college experience to date.

So far, Ashley said she loves the college life and has found it to have been a relatively easy adjustment for her overall. However, her first semester was not without some challenges.

“Moving to Minnesota was a culture shock: the weather, the food, the people; not in a bad way, but nonetheless a large adjustment,” she said. “The weather was probably the hardest thing to adjust to. We could go days without seeing the sun during the fall semester. The cloudiness and cold temperatures really took a toll on my mood a few times.”

But all in all, Ashley said that she’s happy with the choice that she made in attending CSB.

“Now that I’m a student of CSB, I know that I’ve made the right choice. I wouldn’t change it at all. I’m especially glad that I chose a college that is religiously affiliated. My faith is important to me so I’m glad that I can live and study in a place where I can regularly go to mass and practice my faith,” she said.

Ashley said she intends to use her educational background to become an occupational therapist. She is also considering changing her major to an individualised major called Integrative Health Science. This will allow her to study multiple disciplines within the health field such as biology, psychology, kinesiology, and more.

She said people are often taken aback when she tells them of her career plans.

“I’m often asked, ‘Why aren’t you becoming a doctor?’ To be completely honest, it just doesn’t interest me to study medicine. Sometimes the criticism gets to me and I second-guess myself, but I remind myself what I’m passionate about,” she said. “Many Bahamians are not aware that we need more occupational therapists in our country. Don’t get me wrong, we’ll always need doctors, but allied health careers are just as important.”

Being named to the dean’s list at CSB for the 2016 spring semesters was certainly an honour for Ashley, but she admitted that she is not as excited about it as some of her family members are.

“I’m just doing what I’m supposed to do, that’s how I see it. So to me, it’s not that much of a big deal,” she said.

Ashley said she wants to tell recent high school graduates who are going abroad for school to stay true to themselves and to enjoy the college experience.

“Don’t let fear get in the way of opportunities that are awaiting you. You’re going to get homesick, that’s natural. Put yourself out there, make friends, make valuable connections and enjoy the experience. Stay grounded in the morals and values you grew up with, because they will be tested time and time again,” she said.