"Step Out of Your Comfort Zone -- You'll Never Know the Opportunities You Will Get."
When pre-nursing student SaVaughna John-Baptiste responded to a on-campus job posting for an agronomy research assistant at UVI's Agricultural Experiment Station, she was just looking for a way to earn some extra money. She never expected the experience would change her course of study and put her on a completely different career path.
"I was more comfortable with an office job. I didn't see myself working in the field or testing soil samples in a lab," she explains. Ten months later, SaVaughna has extended her work contract and switched majors to focus on her newfound interest in horticulture. "I really find it interesting and I'm actually learning something," she says about her research work. Her enthusiasm for the field is evident. "Her quickly developing interest and abilities in scientific experiments and scientific thinking is remarkable," says her instructor and research specialist David Hensley. SaVaughna recently participated in UVI's 24th Annual Student Science Research Symposium to present her research about water use efficiency. She hopes to conduct new research and present at a conference in the Dominican Republic next year.
"Before this experience, I had a closed mindset," says SaVaughna. "I wasn't really open to trying new things. But I've learned you have to step out of your comfort zone -- you never know the opportunities you will get." SaVaughna is now considering a career in Horticultural Therapy where she could engage others in gardening and other plant-based activities as a means of therapy and healing. "This career would allow me to combine my interest in horticulture with my desire to help others improve their health."
A St. Croix native, SaVaughna, lives near campus and says she loves spending time at UVI. When not taking classes or working, she enjoys playing pool in the game room and is looking forward to participating in the Student Government Association again this year.
