In Justine-Marie Joseph’s native country, the access to online learning is complex. According to the government of Trinidad and Tobago, roughly 60,000 elementary to high school students do not have access to online learning.
Prior to the pandemic, the “digital divide”—the gap between people who have access to the internet and computers and those who don’t—in Trinidad and Tobago existed, but the global pandemic has only amplified the disproportion for those who lack internet connection or any type of modern communications technology.
“When schools were forced online due to the pandemic, there were a lot of issues with some people not having access to computers and the internet,” said Joseph, a computer engineering major at the University of Miami College of Engineering. “I want things to be easier for young people in my country—things are hard enough.” She hopes to use the knowledge she has gained during her time at the University to expand technology access in her home country.
Initially, Joseph had dreams of studying biomedical engineering so that she could work with artificial heart valves. She subsequently switched majors in her sophomore year after taking a course in coding. Today, she looks forward to obtaining her bachelor’s degree in computer engineering with a minor in software technology, so that she can assist the Trinidad and Tobago government or create a nonprofit organization to “make things easier,” she said.
“That was my first time being exposed to coding, because in high school in Trinidad, we don’t have those types of courses,” said Joseph. “I saw how versatile a computer engineering degree would be and how many issues it could solve in my own country.”
Joseph, a first-generation college student who was raised in a single-parent home, applied to the University after learning about it through a friend. Hesitant to leave the island she has known and loved her entire life, she accepted her offer with her future weighing heavily on her mind.
“I know for sure that this is where I am supposed to be,” said Joseph, who has found a sense of belonging at the University.
Joseph’s community-oriented mindset has led her to join forces with others who also care about helping communities near and far. Currently, she is the co-president of Kids in Culture, a volunteer student organization that strives to show young students that college is attainable, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. Joseph is also gaining hands-on experience in her field as she works part time for the University of Miami Information Technology department in technology support. Her day-to-day duties include responding to client inquiries by helping diagnose any technical issues and assisting with installing hardware or software.
Edgar Rodriguez, a UMIT systems analyst, met Joseph in 2019 when she joined the department. He said three key professional qualities that come to mind about Joseph are: knowledge, integrity, and respect.
“She has been an asset to our department,” said Rodriguez. “Justine strives to master her role within our department by continuously developing a highly specialized and ever-growing knowledge base to support our customer’s needs.”
