I’m a proud West Indian who was born and raised in the Caribbean, and even after migrating to the United States to study, I returned home to the U.S. Virgin Islands to invest in my community. The U.S. Virgin Islands, although small in size, has done well for itself as a popular tourist destination and as a second home to people from all over the Caribbean. Yet, like many nations, the territory struggles to build strong, sustainable,
and smart infrastructure that can withstand natural disasters common to the region.
Unfortunately, many Caribbean islands will feel the impact of climate change long before larger nations. I’ve lived through countless tropical storms and three record-breaking hurricanes, all before the age of 25. Experiencing a hurricane is traumatizing, but what’s worse is the aftermath—having to navigate a new normal of no electricity, unstable Wi-Fi, poor cell phone reception, and a lack of everything else that constitutes 21st century living. Almost all forms of productivity, like work and school, are halted for months at a time. That is why it is critical that we build stronger and smarter infrastructure for future generations.
After two Category 5 hurricanes decimated my home in 2017, I founded a writing clinic at my old high school to support seniors with college application essays. Students could only attend school for half the usual time because of school damage, making it difficult to prepare for college. While the writing clinic helped seniors get into college during one of the most challenging periods of their lives, they still faced many obstacles, like limited Wi-Fi and a lack of computers and other resources. I quickly realized that if students were to succeed under these disastrous circumstances, wide-scale change was needed.
In 2019, I became the youngest chief policy advisor in the Senate. This allows me to support wide-scale change, and I’ve used the opportunity to focus on technological advancement, food security through sustainable agriculture, and pursuing cleaner forms of energy, like solar and wind power, that benefit our environment. This level of change will require a lot of effort, but it can and must be done. Future generations of Virgin Islanders deserve to live in a home that is prepared for anything, whether it be a hurricane or a pandemic. My dream is to build a stronger and more resilient Caribbean for them.