High-achieving Immaculate alumna heads to Princeton
Published:Wednesday | July 7, 2021 | 12:08 AMJudana Murphy/Gleaner Writer
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In less than two months, 21-year-old Jamaican Avery Barnett will commence her Doctor of Philosophy degree (PhD) in public Affairs in science, technology and environment policy at Princeton University in the United States. The Immaculate Conception...
In less than two months, 21-year-old Jamaican Avery Barnett will commence her Doctor of Philosophy degree (PhD) in public Affairs in science, technology and environment policy at Princeton University in the United States.
The Immaculate Conception High School alumna is both excited and nervous to pursue graduate studies at the Ivy League school.
“I was very happy! I got a heads up from my future adviser that I passed the main hurdle to become accepted in mid-February, but I had to wait to receive the official acceptance. It was my first choice when I initially applied and I was very pleased to get into Princeton,” she told The Gleaner.
The programme does not require candidates to have a master’s degree for admission, so Barnett will be moving directly from undergraduate to PhD studies.
“I think I will be one of the youngest in my programme. Most (students) have had some years of work experience before they applied to attend the programme, so I think it will be interesting navigating new friendships and adjusting to a new place,” she explained.
Barnett showed she was a stellar performer when she sat her first Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exam in grade eight.
“I was getting bored with my high-school curriculum and my mom suggested that I sat some subjects, because I enjoy learning new things. I started with business subjects. I did principles of business, office administration and electronic document preparation management, because I was always trying to embark on some business venture in preparatory school and I wouldn’t be able to fit these subjects in at Immaculate, since at the time I was planning to do medicine,” she recalled.
Overall, Barnett earned 19 CSEC subjects, but eager to take her academic journey a step further, she pursued Cambridge A-level exams in economics, mathematics and sociology.
“My high-school years were a big rocky emotionally, because I was struggling with imposter syndrome and low self-esteem during the first couple years,” she added.
However, Barnett was able to find a sense of belonging when she was one of 19 students from the Caribbean selected for the Student Program for Innovation in Science and Engineering in 2016.
In 2017, she commenced undergraduate studies at Grinnell College in Iowa, immediately after grade 11.
Of the 11 schools she received acceptance letters from, Grinnell was her institution of choice because of its high academic reputation, as well as there were ample provisions to play the steel pan, which really tipped the scale for her.
Barnett graduated from Grinnell with a bachelor of arts in physics (honours) with concentrations in technology studies and environmental studies.
She held various leadership positions, including co-leader for Black Students in STEM; vice-president for the African and Caribbean Students Union; student representative for the Wilson Centre for Innovation and Leadership Committee; Admissions and Student Financial Aid Committee; and the Working Group for Diversity and Inclusion in the Sciences.
She also had working positions as a senior interviewer in the Office of Admissions; curriculum and leadership intern in the Office of Intercultural Affairs; and physics mentor, teaching assistant and grader in the Science Learning Center.
Barnett distinguished herself by getting involved in diverse activities and making her voice heard on the committees she served.
“I’m known on these committees for having very strong opinions and being quite frank about the student experience. I was notoriously known for taking as many credits as I could and being a resource to other students in different capacities,” she highlighted.
As a college student, she played in the Harp Ensemble as well as the Percussion and Steel Pan Ensemble and attended numerous conferences.
The accomplished student expressed gratitude to her family, who have been extremely supportive during her academic journey.
“They have been with me every step of the way, although I don’t think they are able to keep track of me sometimes,” Barnett said.
She hopes to return to Jamaica to work in the energy policy sector.
“I also wish to improve communication between private and public entities and ensure that our policies are aligned with the goals we want to achieve,” she remarked.