From sleeping in Coronation Market to neuroscience PhD

Twenty-two-year-old Malika Allen is determined to blaze a trail of her own, despite loss, financial challenges, and other hurdles.

Come August, she will commence PhD studies in neuroscience in the United States.

Allen grew up in Meadowbrook, St Andrew, where she had a fun childhood. Though focused on academics, the youngster read frequently and still found time to play netball.

“My parents had a business together in Coronation Market. So, I was there before and after school every day. But when my dad passed away, I started to stay overnight with my mom and older sister in the market from Friday evening to Saturday evening,” Allen recalled.

She told The Gleaner that she helped her mother to sell in the market and she had to go there each morning to collect her lunch money before heading to school.

Allen recalled that at one point, her family’s finances were so low that they could not afford to pay the utility bills, but she was undeterred.

“I would try to get home early from school so that I could complete my homework and in instances where it got dark before I could complete them, I would have to make use of the street light as it was bright enough to shine on the veranda,” she recounted.

As graduation drew near at the end of high school, she learnt that students with outstanding fees would not be allowed to participate.

But she had overcome too much to not be given the opportunity to experience the sense of pride of walking across the platform and being presented with a canister.

She emailed the principal, who gave permission and did not mind receiving an empty certificate canister.

After high school, Allen enrolled at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia, on a partial scholarship.

A hold was placed on her account every semester because of outstanding balances and she was unable to register for classes several times.

BIGGEST CHALLENGE

The biggest challenge was having to take a leave of absence from August to December 2019 because of outstanding fees.

“During this time, I returned to Jamaica, and I thought that this was the end. I started to apply for various jobs; however, I wasn’t selected for any. I then decided to apply for scholarships, still no luck,” she recalled.

“I then applied for loans and was subsequently denied. This became a depressing time in my life and I was at the point of giving up on my dreams. I didn’t even want to leave my house.”

All was not lost, as her academic performance earned her a full-tuition scholarship after returning from the leave of absence.

Her family and her bishop assisted with paying housing costs and other miscellaneous fees.

“A week before I returned to school, I made a plan with all the courses I needed to take to graduate when I was expected. I also included goals of doing research internships and working in the research lab at my school more,” she told The Gleaner.

“I really just made a plan and stuck to it through prayer because I had to take more credits since I missed a semester.”

Allen is an active member of the Diversity and Inclusion Board of Students and a tutor at the Academic Resource Center.

The Jamaican student is on track to graduate summa cum laude in May with a Bachelor of Arts in neuroscience and psychology.

Allen said that her mom and sisters are very supportive of her educational pursuit.

“My older sister kept me motivated and I was always reminded that I have a greater purpose in life. My experiences and the number of denials were just a number of the many valleys I had to pass through,” she said.

judana.murphy@gleanerjm.com