‘Worrying won’t stop bad things from happening’
Faith, sacrifices, support system buoy UTech valedictorian to first-class honours
Published:Saturday | November 12, 2022 | 12:07 AMJudana Murphy/Gleaner Writer
Tamekia Meeks did not own a laptop upon being accepted into university and, mere days before she was expected to move on campus from her home in Barham, Westmoreland, she did not have the first dollar for the deposit to secure boarding.
The 23-year-old’s university journey was one of faith, sacrifices and countless challenges, but she overcame them to graduate and emerged with a Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Science with first-class honours, and as valedictorian of the University of Technology (UTech), Jamaica’s Class of 2022.
While a student at Manning’s School, Meeks was consistently ranked among the top-three students in her year group, and, from grades eight through to 11, she participated in The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona’s Mathematical Olympiad, where she emerged a finalist each year, but illness and a lack of funding caused her to miss a few of the finals.
The decision to pursue actuarial science was a no-brainer for Meeks, who developed a passion for numbers at an early age.
“I chose actuarial science because it’s versatile and also because I wanted to do something that would challenge me,” she told The Gleaner in an interview on Monday.
As she prepared to pursue tertiary studies, Meeks had applied for numerous scholarships, but, when she was unsuccessful, she turned to the Students’ Loan Bureau.
In August 2018, she received her dorm acceptance email but she was not prepared financially to pay any of the fees or to purchase groceries and personal items that she would need to survive living on campus.
“A week before the dorm deposit was due, no money turned up. I told my mother that I am not going to stay in Westmoreland and that God would not allow me to get a student loan if He did not have a plan in place to bring me to Kingston for the four years,” she recounted.
She prayed about it and spoke with her mentor at church and, a day before the deadline, financial resources started flowing in – just enough to cover the deposit.
“I also got pots from neighbours. I got a suitcase from someone who said she was about to give it away but something told her not to give it away because somebody will be coming for it who is in greater need, and that was how I was able to pack my things,” she said.
Not enough food
Meeks recalled experiencing constant migraines and severe menstrual cramps, which she attributed partly to the sacrifices she made.
“I didn’t have enough food to supply me for the month, and there were times that I didn’t eat on time. I have younger siblings and I knew that, if my mother sent what she had to me, then they would not be able to go to school or to eat a meal. So I told her to keep the money and [that] I will be okay,” she said.
The student registered four to five weeks late for classes every semester, simply because she could not pay the enrolment commitment fee required.
“I tried my best to catch up on what I missed in those classes and I studied for those mid-semester exams and was able to pass all of them with As and Bs. This happened every semester but I couldn’t help the situation,” she told The Gleaner.
Meeks was among the top-seven students in her faculty in first year, and that qualified her for UTech’s 60th anniversary bursary, valued at $100,000, for three consecutive years.
“I didn’t have a laptop until second year. I had to use my phone, which wasn’t working well, or borrow a laptop from someone on my dorm, to get my projects completed on time for submission. I used the funds from the bursary to buy a laptop and a phone and I sent the balance back home to help out with my siblings and nieces to go to school,” Meeks revealed.
She lived on campus until COVID-19 came in 2020, bringing both blessings and challenges for the university student.
Her family was able to cut back on boarding costs, but, back home in Westmoreland, she did not have Internet access. She had to use mobile data plans to attend online classes, but, then, her laptop stopped working.
Meeks applied for a device grant from her faculty to purchase a tablet, which she shared with her younger brother and two nieces as their classes had also moved online – and she also had to juggle supervising them.
The family eventually secured Internet at home, but the service was poor.
“In my final exam for financial management in third year, both the Internet and the light went. When I went back on, I could not get access to the exam, so I had to call my lecturer to let him know what was happening. It was difficult, but I endured because I was determined to finish university with first-class honours and to be a beacon for my small community,” Meeks said.
Meeks dedicated her summer holidays to tutoring students in her community on her uncle’s verandah and is hoping that she will be blessed soon so that she can construct a community centre to facilitate them for homework assistance.
The graduate told The Gleaner that, on entry to university, she was reserved and shy, but, as she took on leadership responsibilities, she became more sociable and outspoken.
She served as director of finance for the Faculty of Science and Sport and vice-president and treasurer of the UTech Actuarial Science Club.
High expectations
Meeks recalled that she checked her email at about 10 p.m. one day and she came across the congratulatory mail informing her that she was selected as the 2022 valedictorian. Her relatives were asleep, so they could not share in her immediate excitement, but, when she told them the following morning, not one family member was surprised.
“My mother said she did not expect anything less. My family has a very high expectation of me and that helps to motivate me to reach beyond what I believe is possible,” an enthusiastic Meeks said.
She assisted many of her classmates with difficult topics during her university tenure, and shared that it was rewarding to see them complete their degrees alongside her.
Meeks is on a paid internship at Savanna-la-Mar Primary School, where she does data analysis and administrative duties and is actively seeking employment.
She intends to begin her actuarial exams next year and hopes to venture into data science.
“Worrying won’t stop bad things from happening. It just prevents you from enjoying the good. Focus on the positives in life and be grateful for the support you have around you.” That’s her advice to students attending school under challenging circumstances.