Allegra Christopher is not the kind of student who fits neatly in a box. So, when it came time for the photographer, photojournalist, musician, dancer, visual artist and culture bearer to select a major, there wasn’t a clear choice at first. That’s when UVI Provost, Dr. Camille McKayle, suggested a creative solution – a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies. Students work closely with their advisors to create a customized degree that allows them to pursue multiple interests. It turned out to be the right fit for Allegra. In May 2024, she became one of the first students to graduate from UVI with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. 
Allegra Christopher
“I have passion for everything I touch,” said Allegra, who graduates cum laude and has been on the dean’s list throughout her academic career at UVI. “The interdisciplinary degree was perfect for me.”
A graduate of Charlotte Amalie High School, Allegra first attended UVI in 1990 as a humanities student. She put her university studies on hold to pursue other goals including starting a family and a photography business. She also moved to Virginia where she worked as a music teacher and a volunteer Girl Scouts field administrator for twenty years. A lifelong learner, Allegra returned to UVI in 2019 to pursue a formal degree, in part to motivate her son, an aspiring writer.
At Allegra’s Senior Student Musical Recital, her multi-talents were on display as she sang classical and African-diaspora songs, and showcased ancestral Bamboula dance, drumming and song. As part of her service-learning master hours requirement for graduation, Allegra created a Bamboula cultural club at UVI which took music education students into local schools to teach multicultural music education. In her senior year, Allegra also interned with the UVI Office of Public Relations, covering student life activities and creating multimedia content for social media.
After graduation, Allegra plans to pursue a career in multimedia public relations and travel to other HBCUs and universities throughout the Caribbean as a presenter of Afro-Caribbean culture. She carries the culture bearer torch proudly, a role passed on to her by her mother, Mary Ann Golden Christopher. Eventually, she intends to pursue a master’s degree in Ethnomusicology and interdisciplinary studies in the Fine Arts.
Allegra’s experience at UVI wasn’t a straight line, but she is grateful for the opportunity to create her own path, one that incorporated her many passions, allowing her to exercise her own individuality and (literally) dance to the beat of her own drum.
