By Mia Anthony
Determination, dedication, a quest for self-improvement, and a thirst for knowledge seemed to be some of the things graduates of the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) have in common. These attributes came through in mini-videos of their stories that were posted to the Ministry of Education’s Facebook page.
Khamelia Jameer, who was one of the valedictorians, did Health Care Management and in fact completed two courses of study. She said she heard about the scholarship during “… an outreach in my community when GOAL launched in Region Five”. The influencing factor for Jameer was that she had already completed her bachelors in Medical Technology at the University of Guyana.
“From there, I wanted to further my studies,” she said, adding that she was unable to do so due to financial constraints. A single mother, Jameer wanted to prioritise her child’s well-being and education. “With GOAL I was able to do that without being financially burdened and upgrade myself academically and professionally,” she said.
Jameer shared that at one time she felt like giving up as she was pursuing two courses and this posed a significant challenge. “In the day you have to work and in the night you have your studies and then I have my child also,” she said. But she persevered and “at the end I was successful,” she said. She encouraged anyone thinking of pursuing the GOAL path to go for it. Jeremy Ruthanum said he heard of the scholarship through a friend who closely works with individuals in his community. Ruthanum did the master’s in Engineering Management. He was also a graduate of the University of Guyana and with a continued burning desire to learn more, he pursued the opportunity through the GOAL Scholarship Program-me. He credited his family for their support during his studies. “During the course of this programme my wife and I got our first child,” he said, adding that it presented a challenge. He said one major obstacle he faced during his pursuit for higher education was timing. “The time to complete the course; I know we were given the opportunity in terms of extending the time of the programme and this made it really flexible,” he said. How-ever, he still felt the pressure of having to work and study and along finding time for his family. He said proper time management and planning is key in these circumstances.
Giving up was not an option for Ruthanum as he always had a passion for pursuing a masters. He said GOAL provided him with the opportunity to do so and online made it very efficient. “The GOAL scholarship is a great opportunity, it’s really a blessing,” he added.
Wendy Ann Denanath, who pursued a master’s in Public Policy in Administration, said social media played a key role in her learning about the programme. “I have always wanted to be qualified. I am a strong believer in academic pursuits. So I always wanted to do my masters,” she said.
Her personal goal was to complete her masters by the age of 30. However, she got married and had a child so her priorities shifted. “When I saw this, I jumped at the opportunity,” she said, as it allowed her to study from the comfort of her home.
She credits her mother for being a key player in helping her attain success as she took the responsibility of looking after her son while she had exams. “So this is an achievement for her, it is not for me alone,” she added.
Krishani Persaud, who did a bachelor’s degree in Special Education at the University of Southern Caribbean,said she first saw the ads for the GOAL Scholarship on Facebook.
She said her selection of Special Education was not one without thought as she is in the education sector. “As a teacher, I know there are diverse needs in different learners,” she said.
The course did come with its own challenges. “Introduction to statistics was a bit challenging for me,“ she said and thanked her mother for being her biggest supporter during her study time. She said in the future having the degree would help her to better understand her students and plan lessons to meet the needs of her students. Head of the Communications Department at the Environmental Protection Agency Joel Ally, who completed his master’s in Journalism and Mass Communication, said he heard of the GOAL scholarship while listening to a programme on television featuring Minister of Education Priya Manick-chand. He said he was moved by a speech she gave. He recalled her saying that whether it took two or four years to complete a degree or certificate, those years were still going to pass by. He said this resonated with him and he applied for the scholarship.
Ally had already secured, from the University of Guyana, a diploma in Public Communica-tion and a bachelors in Commu-nication Studies, graduating with a distinction. The next step was his masters which he pursued through the GOAL programme. He said he has always had a career within the field of journalism more so corporate communications.
He said he wanted to develop his skills and competencies in the area of work that he does and boost his career further. He said that as a working professional and a father to two toddlers, it was challenging balancing his work and family. The added pressures of getting home late and having to study proved to be challenging but he said he was dedicated and committed, as he is to any struggle that he takes on.
Tonifa Nicols Ross, who completed her bachelor’s at the University of Amity Dubai, said she heard of the programme through social media. Passionate about pursuing higher education, Ross said her goal was to be the top performer and completing her bachelors with Amity has boosted her accomplishments.
Jermaine Peroune, who completed his post-graduate diploma in Forensic Science at the Sherlock Institute of Forensic Science, said he first heard of the scholarship through an advertisement on television. With encouragement from his friends, he said, he chose the course since it was something that he always wanted to do. It was an expensive path to study, he said, but GOAL made it affordable for him to pursue his passion.
He said GOAL and the Sherlock Institute of Forensic Science provided support during his study journey.
Rabindra Ramsuran, who did his master’s in Commerce and Accounting Finance through Jain Deemed-to-be University, said he found out about the programme from his colleagues and through the media. Ramsuran, a graduate of the University of Guyana with a degree in Accountancy, said he grasped the opportunity to pursue his masters through GOAL. He said the programme contributed to his development both personally and professionally. Rene Sandy completed a master’s in Climate Change and Disasters Governance through Jain. She said she heard of the programme as she was working at the University of Guyana in the admissions department. She said her boss and colleagues encouraged her to sign up. She said she did not specifically choose the programme, but it was one that dealt with renewable energy efficiencies.
Nirmala Gyadin who graduated with her diploma in Business Education from the Indira Gandhi University through Jain said, “It was all over Facebook, so we just applied.” She said Covid impacted her heavily at the time when she discovered the scholarship. She saw it as a need as she is an educator herself and it has done really well for her and her career.
Motielall Samaroo, who completed his master’s in Public Policy and Administration through Jain, said he discovered the opportunity through Face-book and as well as advertisements on television. Samaroo, who works at the Ministry of Education, said that policy implementation is something that goes a long way. He said the programme was very demanding and having a full-time job also posed some challenges in managing his time, but he learned valuable lessons.
Rohit Singh who graduated with his master’s in Disaster Risk Management and Disaster Governance from the University of Structurealia, Spain, said he learned of the programme through an advertisement and then on social media. He said the influencing factor for him was his drive to pursue his master’s degree.
