The Tribune

By FELICITY DARVILLE

WHEN Deidre Moss graduated from the College of the Bahamas with an Associates Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication back in 2007, she dreamed of making her mark in the media field and impacting lives. The road, however, was not so smoothly paved. A small industry with limited opportunities meant that many who graduated with a degree like hers would have to find alternative ways of making their dreams come true. For Deidre, she decided to follow another path that is still evolving for her today.

When she was a child, her father George Moss instilled the importance of education in her. Growing up in the Englerston community, he knew that his daughter - and other youngsters in the area - would face an uphill battle for opportunities for success. To help her stand out from the crowd, he placed a seed in her of a love for education.

Because of it, Deidre never wanted to settle with an Associate’s degree. She decided to further her education as a way to create new paths to success in her life. The opportunities that availed themselves to her through education; the lecturers who impacted her life; and the knowledge that helped to elevate her became the driving force behind her next decision.

Deidre became an educator: “I consider myself an unintentional educator. I had no intention of pursuing teaching, since I came from a family of educators.

“I wanted to take a different path. This is why I pursued Journalism and Mass Communication as my first degree. My goal was to become a journalist.

“However, I ended up forging a career in education. I have taught pre-school, high school, and college/university.”

It turned out to be a good path for Deidre. She has had the opportunity to make an impact on young lives and even help inner city kids see the path to success reflected in her own story.

She is currently the Student Affairs professional and a First Year Seminar Instructor at the University of The Bahamas. Her path has always been one of self improvement through education. After her first degree, Deidre obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Public Administration. But the thing she was running from came to follow her and lead her to her destiny.

Deidre is currently schooling at the University of the West Indies through its online services, and she is in the final leg to earn a PHD in higher learning.

“I have found that education has impacted my life and has allowed me to impact the lives of others,” she told me.

In addition to serving as an instructor at the nation’s top tertiary institute, Deidre created her own - the Career Training Institute.

Through this institute, she has held workforce skills training seminars which help with resume building, interview coaching, job readiness and more.

But once you’re bit with the journalism bug, it’s hard to eradicate. She went out into the field to find her footing. A radio station executive flat out told her ‘no’. Another media executive never responded. Several media executives, she said, met with her and even expressed interest; but to no avail.

In spite of this, Deidre had a vision. She connected with friends from University and together, they designed a show that did not just have a local flair, but also a regional and international one. She started out with a classmate from Trinidad and Tobago and one from Jamaica. The title of the show is “Can WeTalk? withDeidreMoss”.

“The goal was to highlight various topics and address it from our perspective, seeing that we are all from different countries in the region,” she explained.

“When my colleagues could not continue due to other obligations, I continued. I have been able to connect with people regionally and internationally including guests from Australia, Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States, Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago.”

“Can WeTalk? withDeidreMoss” can be found on Facebook, where Deidre goes live at 5pm every Friday. Her last episode alone brought thousands to her page. In addition to the weekly show, Deidre often posts job availability, motivational tips, and more on her Facebook page.

Deidre learned a valuable lesson - she didn’t need to find a job in the media. She could create her own platform and draw people to her.

She never accepted the ‘no’ and she kept on pushing.

“I didn’t accept ‘no’ as a reason not to pursue this goal of having a media platform for the masses,” she said.

To create impactful shows, she connected with non profit organisations such as the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities; the Bahamas Alliance for the Blind and Visually Impaired; and the Hearing Impaired communities to use this platform that she has created to advocate for advancements on their behalf.

Most recently, she enjoyed hosting me as a guest as we spoke about the 16 Days of Activism To End Gender-based violence. We spoke about the need for activism and we both believe in the positive outcomes that are born for working towards a worthy cause. In this case - we were bringing awareness of the need for a safer Bahamas for us all.

Deidre was impacted by the issues we discussed so much that she invited me to join a virtual panel at the University of the Bahamas along with Alicia Wallace of Equality Bahamas and Maris Masom Smith of the Zonta Club of New Providence.

Students commented that they learned a lot more about what gender based violence is and what they could do to stop it.

One of her most memorable shows, she shared, was with Bahamian legend Vera Jane Chase: “We did a show on a ‘Drive through History’. Mrs Chase was able to peel back a lot of layers of Bahamian history. I enjoyed the casual way that she was able to recall so much and give anyone their personal background based on their surname. Mrs Chase was a library; she was a treasure and we are very saddened to lose her.”

Deidre has met up with many mentors along the way, and those from whom she could gain inspiration. However, she says her biggest motivation is her relationship with God. Although her father is gone, Deidre can still hear her father’s loving voice helping her steer the ship of life. She is also motivated by her spiritual leader, Apostle Butler.

Today, she considers herself as a motivator, speaker, producer and content creator - and most of all, a talk connoisseur.

Finally, Deidre has paid the kind of dues in the industry that is reaping benefits.

A radio station has brought her into the fold with a view to changing lives for the better. With her PHD nearly in hand, and a new opportunity at a radio station, Deidre is now at the pinnacle of her career.

But no matter how high she climbs, she will still be looking for that twinkle in the eye of an underprivileged kid, like her, and she will be ready to help guide them on the path to making their own dreams come true.