Homeless to Howard University

MERE MONTHS after 18-year-old Gawain Kiffin went to the United States to pursue undergraduate studies, unforeseen circumstances left him homeless.

Now 32 years old, he holds a BSc in Biology from Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO), a Master of Public Health degree from Florida A&M University (FAMU), and he recently graduated from Howard University College of Dentistry (HUCD) with a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree.

A past student of Tacius Golding High School, where he was a member of the football and quiz teams, Kiffin earned seven Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) subjects before moving on to Jose Marti Technical High School, where he gained another eight subjects.

Kiffin recalled that the relative with whom he was living was married to someone who did not understand Jamaica’s culture of supporting family in their quest for better opportunities.

“I remember on one occasion I had to scrape together over 200 pennies so I could buy a $2 chicken sandwich at McDonald’s. The cashier didn’t even bother to count it. She hurriedly handed me my sandwich,” he recounted, adding that he has kept the receipt as a reminder of the struggles he faced.

Kiffin became friends with a fellow Jamaican student, Renardo Pearson, who was moved by his situation and allowed him to sleep on his couch for a few months.

He said that that period of his life was filled with challenges because he had limited financial resources and also had to work to pay the remainder of the semester’s tuition.

Pearson relayed Kiffin’s situation to the director of student housing, who was astonished that he had a perfect GPA even though he did not have textbooks or his own living space.

That conversation led him to be hired as a community assistant, and he was also provided with housing for the remainder of his undergraduate tenure at SUNO.

“As an undergraduate, my sister helped me as much as she could. Most of my tuition was paid using the funds from the multiple jobs I had. I also worked as a dishwasher, security at a club, a deejay at a reggae club, bellman, and a valet,” he shared.

In the summer of 2010, he became involved in research with his current mentor, Dr Tietzel, and subsequently presented his findings at scientific conferences and won first- place awards for his oral and poster presentations.

“Through the funds from this research grant I was able to help care for my mother and pay my tuition. I was a research assistant until I graduated from SUNO,” he shared.

Kiffin explained that his mother’s ill health was the driving force behind his decision to pursue medical studies.

He scored well enough on the Medical College Admission Test to be accepted into medical school, but his experience as the director of admissions in a skilled nursing facility in Tallahassee, while he was a student at FAMU, changed his outlook on how he wanted to practise.

The then master’s student also worked as biology professor for two years.

“Dentistry offered a better work-life balance, which would facilitate my desire to also serve in a public-health capacity,” he told The Gleaner.

Kiffin was the recipient of numerous academic awards and scholarships across the three universities he attended and at Howard University, he copped the award for male clinical student of the year for two consecutive years, and was ranked among the top 10 percent of the class of 2023.

“At graduation I was given 10 awards from various departments, a feat that I was told was never achieved in recent times at HUCD. I mentored over 40 dental students while I was a dental student. I was also an interviewer responsible for making recommendations to the admissions committee whether to accept or deny candidates for the college of dentistry,” he detailed.

At HUCD, he continued to work as a biology professor and tutor and received academic scholarships towards his tuition.

“The hardest part of dental school was the time spent away from loved ones. I used to talk to my mother and sister daily, but to survive dental school there were times that we could only text each other. I have also lost several friends who could not understand how much time and focus was required by dental school,” he told The Gleaner.

Kiffin also carved out time for involvement in societies and was actively involved in the TriBeta Honors Society, First 50 Knights, the American Society for Microbiology, the American Public Health Association, the American Dental Association, and the Student National Dental Association, among others.

Service to others

He told The Gleaner that his mother, Cheretta Kiffin, taught him the importance of service to others.

“As a child in Clarendon, I had to deliver food to the elderly in the community before I could eat my own meal. We were not wealthy, but she taught me compassion and the importance of giving back,” Kiffin said as he expressed gratitude to the faculty and fellow colleagues at HUCD, who supported his development as a dental student.

Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Admissions, Dr Donna Grant-Mills, spoke glowingly of Kiffin, noting that she was fortunate to have been part of his journey.

“It’s not every day a student would make himself available to others no matter the hour, and that’s the person we found in Gawain. He has contributed tremendously to Howard’s legacy. He truly exuded the mission and motto of Howard University. He is a true reflection of truth and service,” she said.

Grant-Mills, who interviewed Kiffin four years ago, recalled that he visited her office shortly after he matriculated to reintroduce himself.

She said he also offered to help with tutoring, and as time progressed, he was known across faculties for his willingness to serve.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, he helped students develop an approach to restructuring their way of studying. When I set Zoom sessions for one or two hours, he would sometimes go up to three hours, and as the semester moved on, he was able to command a certain presence. He really empowered the students,” Grant-Mills remarked.

Kiffin will be completing a year of residency in advanced general dentistry, after which he plans to work in the United States.

He also intends to continue mentoring and serving underserved people within his community.

For the student, Jamaica will always be home, and it is his dream to open a non-profit clinic locally.

He used the opportunity to encourage soon-to-be international students to trust in God as their path may not be immediately clear, adding that they should also decide what their core values are as they would guide their decision making.

“Obstacles will come, but you are not defined by what you go through,” he said. “Never look at failures as a loss. Take them as a lesson because this outlook produces resilience.”

judana.murphy@gleanerjm.com