Ajamu Crosby has made a habit out of solving problems.
Whether in the classroom or out, the 23-year-old university graduate and Beetham resident believes that hard work and the right attitude are the solutions to any difficulty and is determined to help others realise their potential.
Crosby made headlines in 2017 when he won an additional scholarship in the natural science category after earning top marks in the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE).
Speaking with Sunday Newsday at his 17th D Street, Beetham Gardens, home on Tuesday, Crosby, spoke about his journey through secondary school, the importance of good role-models and his hope for his community.
[caption id="attachment_919429" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Engineer Ajamu Crosby credits the support of his mother Juliana Crosby for his success. Photo courtesy Ajamu Crosby[/caption]
Crosby graduated from The University of the West Indies (UWI), St Augustine, last year with an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering.
While he admits there are few scholarship winners from Beetham Gardens, he isn’t a stereotype and hoped the national community could one day see Beetham residents as a community like any other.
In the gallery of his family’s home the importance of education is noticeable with a bookshelf stacked with textbooks – past exam papers occupying half the space – and a white board on the wall.
Crosby attended primary and secondary school in Tunapuna at the request of his mother who wanted him to be close to where she worked at the time.
After scoring high marks in CSEC, he went on to attend Hillview College for CAPE, where he was exposed to different cultures and experiences.
“There was a lot of competition because the students were brilliant so that was one of the reasons why I went to Hillview for form six.
“What was interesting attending Hillview was the cultural differences. Being introduced to a lot of the Hindu and Muslim religious customs from the other students, I felt I got a more diverse sense of TT’s cultural diaspora.”
While, he said, the new environment was refreshing, this would be the first time Crosby saw the perceptions of others towards Beetham residents noting that he sometimes felt excluded by other students.
[caption id="attachment_919434" align="alignnone" width="1024"] In this August 29 photo, three out of stacks of the Powergen plant a visible from Wrightson Road, Port of Spain. All of the stacks have since been removed. Beetham engineer Ajamu Crosby did a study on the plant for his mechanical engineering degree at The UWI. Photo by Ayanna Kinsale[/caption]
While he was not deterred by this, it was something he thought about.
“There were situations where I felt a little unwelcome, just some students saying certain things. I don’t want to throw dirt on anyone but it had instances where I didn’t feel welcome but the teachers were very welcoming.
“When I attended Tunapuna Secondary before Hillview I didn’t really say where I lived because let’s be honest there is a stigma in t
