Trevonae hopes to blaze trail in journalism, theatre arts

Former Manchester High School head girl Trevonae Williams is anticipating the start of her mission to change the world through journalism, and her passion for theatre, when she graduates from Howard University in the United States in the spring of 2023.

Williams, who had intended to pursue a law degree at The University of the West Indies after leaving high school, made an about-turn when with just one term remaining before she sat law in the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations, she realised it was not her true passion.

“What initially made me fall in love with law as a career was the chance to help people in need, and the ability to change the outcome of their life for the better. While I was still passionate about the advocacy aspect of the field, I felt like I would be miserable if I had to think about paperwork and precedents for the rest of my life,” she quipped.

Now a junior honours journalism major and playwriting minor at Howard, Williams told The Gleaner that she decided to merge the two fields as she has always had a creative spirit. She said that this has always been her way of expressing her innermost feelings, creating new worlds to escape from the one around her.

“While still in high school, I got the chance to explore digital media and writing in a more professional sense, and I realised that the things that I create can have a positive and profound impact on people around me. I saw that I could maintain my desire to serve others, but this time through creation,” she noted.

Williams sees journalism and theatre arts as the perfect marriage of skills she needs to become the multi-hyphenated creator she wants to be known as.

Journalism classes have been opening her eyes to structure, rules and the value that comes with telling stories; while playwriting teaches her how to widen her creative lens to see not only the facts, but also the soul of a story.

Williams said her parents, Hotson and Karlene Williams, were a bit worried when she told them she wanted to attend the historically black university based in Washington, DC.

“Countless game-changers in various fields have passed through the campus and credited the school as the place that ignited the flame for their passions. When I realised that my dreams of being a change-maker in the media and entertainment industry kept getting bigger, I decided that I wanted to nurture my passion at a place where I knew I would be inspired and pushed every single day,” she said.

SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT

“Being a Howard student means having peers whose zeal for their goals makes me want to go just as hard, and having professors who take a genuine interest in my development as a student and as an individual. I’m grateful to be able to grow in an environment as motivating as this one,” she added.

Her parents and sibling have given her full support in chasing after her dreams despite the hurdles.

“Before I could even process the exorbitant costs for tuition at most American universities, I had to face the costs of simply applying to the schools, paying for the SATs, and applying for a student visa,” Williams told The Gleaner.

“When I got into Howard, my parents paid my enrolment fee without knowing how the balance on my tuition would be paid. While I received a scholarship from Howard, it wasn’t nearly enough to cover my full cost of attendance,” she said, adding that she went off in faith expecting to find enough external scholarships to remain there for the next three years.

So far, her faith is keeping her grounded as she continues to chart her course to “create things to make people think and feel”.

For her, whether writing, filming, directing, or producing, her goal is to contribute to creative works that show and celebrate diversity in the human experience, especially for marginalised groups, whose stories are often poorly told, or not told at all.

When she completes her studies, her aim is to be able to contribute to the growth of the creative industry in Jamaica, as she believes that there is a goldmine of creativity in the country that is not being given the credit and respect it is due, both nationally and internationally.

Williams has been an honours student and researcher in the Annenberg Honours Programme within the Cathy Hughes School of Communication, and made the dean’s list for all semesters. She is also a creative director of Spotlight Network, which is the campus TV unit; a co-host for a talk show titled ‘Yardtalk’; and co-director of content for Her Campus Howard, an online magazine dedicated to uplifting collegiate women.

She also explores her love for storytelling and content creation through her YouTube channel.

cecelia.campbell@gleanerjm.com