Dreamgineer Nile Anderson anxious to make impact in STEAM

Nile Anderson, the 2024 Rhodes Scholar, harbours dreams of becoming Jamaica’s dreamgineer – a term he coined himself, which will bring engineering to another level in the nation through his dreams.

He also has visions of his fellow countrymen developing a greater appreciation of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) and for greater integration of the disciplines throughout society.

It is for these and other reasons that he decided to apply for a master’s degree in engineering science, with a focus on applied artificial intelligence at Oxford University in the United Kingdom, where he will begin his studies at the start of the next academic year.

“I think it’s not really science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); it’s really STEAM. I think an artistic element is needed because I believe that, once you’re creating, you need to be able to form new connections,” Anderson told The Gleaner. on Thursday, moments after the Manning’s School alumnus was announced as the latest Rhodes Scholar.

A lover of technology, he is also a graduate of The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering with a focus on industrial automation.

Fell in love with numbers

His love for technology started when he got building blocks as a child, he told The Gleaner.

Over time, he found himself falling in love with numbers, mathematics, and physics, and then developed a passion for STEAM.

The Westmoreland native said life was not always easy for him and his parents, while he grew up.

With his mom a teacher, he spent most of his formative years in the heart of Savanna-la-Mar by the teachers’ flats at Manning’s School, which “was perfectly centred in both the good and bad” parts of that town.

He told The Gleaner that his greatest inspiration has been his mother and father, who have both significantly contributed to his growth and development.

“They’re not from the most advantaged backgrounds. They really struggled a lot, especially looking at my mom, and seeing how far she would have come, and how many lives she would have inspired, I really thought I had to follow suit,” he said.

Governor General Sir Patrick Allen announced Anderson’s selection as Jamaica’s Rhodes Scholar for 2024 at King’s House on Thursday afternoon after the selection committee had completed its assessment of the 11 finalists vying for the scholarship.

“God is faithful,” Anderson recalled was his first reaction to being named.

“It’s an amazing feeling. It’s unreal, to be honest. When I was in the room and Sir Patrick Allen came to announce the result, I was like ‘There’s no way that’s the name he called’,” Anderson, who has been working remotely for Microsoft Leap since August as a software engineer, told The Gleaner.

“For it to be narrowed down to me, that’s an amazing blessing. So I’m feeling really grateful and also hopeful,” he said.

He intends to focus more on robotics locally when he returns to the island.

“I chose robotics and artificial intelligence because I think that’s the direction in which our society is going. I think we need modern skills for a modern society and I really hope that, on completing my degree, I’ll be able to come back and upskill other people in Jamaica,” said Anderson, who had entered The UWI three years ago as the top matriculant.

Anderson, however, is no stranger to awards.

He received the Caribbean Regional Youth Council’s Caribbean 35 Under 35 Award for 2023, was named the Scientific Research Council’s STEM Ambassador for 2023, and got a Governor General’s Achievement Award in 2018. He was also a Jamaica Cultural Development Commission Speech Festival gold medallist in 2016, and was named the Caribbean Examinations Council’s Most Outstanding Candidate in Sciences in the region in 2014, and was a Jamaica Mathematical Olympiad merit awardee in 2014.

“I really don’t think I am special. I think what I have done, man has done, and I believe that man can do again. I believe everything that I’ve done can be replicated. All it really tastes is belief in Jesus Christ our Lord and hard work,” he said.

The Rhodes Scholarship was first awarded in 1902 and is the oldest and most prestigious international scholarship programme, enabling outstanding young people from around the world to study at the University of Oxford.

Established through the Will of Cecil John Rhodes in 1902, among the most notable local recipients of the scholarship are Norman Manley, Noel Nethersole, Rex Nettleford, Dudley Thompson, Delroy Chuck, Dr Nigel Clarke, and Ronald Thwaites.

ainsworth.morris@gleanerjm.com