Why FSU?

I initially wanted to be close to family back home in Jamaica, and Florida was a good choice for that. During my search, FSU attracted me because of its high ratings as a public university, and the Urban and Regional Planning Program, specifically, was well respected in the field. Additionally, the possibility of having access to the state's Latin America and Caribbean Scholarship was also very attractive to me. Finally, Tallahassee appeared to be a good location for raising children, with many activities and a small town feel in certain areas making it a good fit for my family.

Motivation to pursue a graduate degree

Having practiced in my field of real estate appraisal and real estate education for a few years post-master's, I interacted with several persons experiencing mortgage default or struggling with regularizing title to their properties. Many of my students also experienced financial hardships compounded by these land-related issues. I started to think about how to address this situation in meaningful ways and decided that further study was needed to fully understand the issues before starting the solutions. I decided to apply for a Fulbright scholarship to support my studies in the USA and was successful.

Importance and/or impact of research and work

My work focuses on how to make the housing market transparent for the people most vulnerable to the shortcomings of the current system's laws, policies, and social norms surrounding housing. By using a mixed methods approach, I get at the most pressing issues in the housing market and test those in economic experiments to identify patterns of decision making that might lead to less than desirable housing outcomes.

Career aspirations

I will return to Jamaica at the end of my studies to resume teaching real estate and planning in an undergraduate program at the University of Technology, Jamaica. I hope to be able to impact curriculum changes that take a decolonizing and indigenous approach to matters related to land and housing so that our practitioners can better meet the needs of the country. My other career goal is to create a nonprofit housing institute with branches across Jamaica, offering specialized supportive housing services, counseling, and financial training to vulnerable groups like women and children.

Advice for anyone considering graduate school

Just do it! You will be challenged and stretched beyond what you can imagine, and there will be bad days, but it will be worth it. You will have some experiences that confirm who you are to yourself, because in the early years of our career we are busy learning the ropes and figuring out life. Having understood your vocation and the things that stand out to you therein and returning to school to study in a focused way will put some of your true passions into perspective. Studying for a PhD has been a journey to finding myself and becoming confident in that person, and it is an experience I do not regret.

Accomplishments during graduate career

I am proud to have been selected as a recipient of the 2022-2023 Margaret McNamara Education Grant. The announcement came at a time when I was feeling so sad about being away from home and from many of the mentees who I was closely working with prior to starting school. I was wondering if this bigger vision that I had for change was worthwhile, giving up the smaller impacts I was making in their lives, and it was just a reminder that my vision was not just in my head but that others could see and buy into it. It really helped me find the energy and determination to go on.