Faith and hard work - Kenya Simms achieves family’s first degree

When Kenya Simms opted not to seek assistance from the Students' Loan Bureau (SLB) for her second-year tuition funding at the Northern Caribbean University (NCU), she remained unaware of the means through which her studies would be supported.

She had just completed a rough first year at the Manchester-based university, and like many students she made it through thanks to the Grace of God and a reliance on loans. Her second year of studies coincided with the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic which crippled economies across the globe. Despite the grim financial outlook, Simms refused to cower in fear, choosing instead to rely on God to guide her actions.

"As I was about to enter my second year of university, God told me to come off student loan and trust Him. This was extremely hard for me because my tuition was almost $1 million per year. Nevertheless, I made the decision to obey and trust God. It was rough, I had a lot of sleepless nights, I cried a lot, but God came through every time. My studies were 100 per cent funded by God" she told THE STAR.

In 2019, Simms enrolled at the NCU to pursue a bachelor's degree in nursing. After the loss of her mother, Rosemarie James, the year before, the responsibility of financing her university education rested on her father, Vermon Simms. While she initially relied on the SLB for her first year, she subsequently chose to place her faith in God for provision.

"Individuals that I didn't know helped to pay my tuition," she said while adding that she was the recipient of several scholarships due to her consistently outstanding performance.

"I was favoured to the point where even the president gave me scholarships," said Simms who got more than 17 scholarships and grants and completed university debt-free.

Her success is even greater, as she is the first in her family to complete tertiary studies, but having crossed the line she was filled with mixed emotions.

"I was happy and sad at the same time. It was a big moment for me and completing my tenure was a proud moment but my mother was absent and that made me sad," she said.

"When I graduated I felt thrilled, ecstatic and pleased with myself. To know that I have come this far by faith and I endured through it all . I am now technically eligible to class myself as a nurse, which is a great feeling. I have achieved something that no one else in my family has done. I stayed committed throughout my studies because I wasn't just doing it for me but my entire family. No one in my immediate family had ever passed secondary education, and I had to break that generational curse. I wanted to set the foundation for my smaller siblings," she said.

Now preparing to sit her nurse licensing examination, Simms is urging others to hold steadfast in their faith in God and never give up.

"The sky is the limit," she said. "Let nothing in life stop you from achieving your dreams, whether it be financial issues, your culture or others around you discouraging you. Push your way through as greatest lies within you. You can make a change in your family and achieve what no one else have," Simms said.