While Carnival is considered culture in action, the essence of our nation’s people lies in the everyday ideas, customs and social behaviors of citizens and is passed down from generation to generation.
A lover of culture and the arts, Brian Boyce, who hails from New Grant, took a leap of faith to pursue a degree in an industry that is academically underserved.
Of course, Boyce could have studied for a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in culture locally, but he chose to challenge himself and pursue Cultural Anthropology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville after being guided by his mentor Jillian John.
Boyce went through a series of rigorous steps to qualify and started in August.
Who is Brian Boyce?
The culture buff was not born with a golden spoon, but he worked hard, attending numerous institutions across the country starting with Mon Repos Roman Catholic Primary School, Cowen Hamilton High School, COSTAATT where he pursued a degree in Mass Communication and UTT where. has completed a Masters in Carnival Studies.
However, traveling abroad to begin a five-year PhD was Boyce’s biggest hurdle yet, something he is handling with humility and grace.
I didn’t even think that something like this was possible for me”, he admitted.
“When I saw the syllabus, bruh, I almost had a panic attack,” he joked.
“It was a matter of trying not to see it as this big monster that’s going to get you, and just work at it slowly and break it down into little pieces so it doesn’t seem so insurmountable,” he said. .
Having received a Graduate Excellence Scholarship, Boyce is more than just a student as he is also a graduate teaching assistant (TA). He, along with three others, teaches discussion sections to a large class of about 200 students. He is responsible for about 70 of them.
Perhaps a little too reserved about the feat, Boyce said: “If I could do it, you can do it. Like I said, I’m nobody special.”
He also had a message for anyone with big goals – take baby steps.
“A lot of times we look at things holistically, which can be good in some cases, but sometimes you have to break your goals down into smaller things, that’s a little more manageable,” he said.
Boyce is living proof of this having achieved A’s in his archeology course so far despite never having encountered the subject before.
Looking back, Boyce said high school didn’t prepare him for the real world. He pursued his purpose after appreciating who he was and what he was passionate about.
The PhD candidate also spoke candidly about the state of cultural affairs in Trinidad and Tobago.
“Culturally, what we need most in Trinidad is – and it already exists, as I’m not saying it doesn’t exist – but we need it on a larger stage where more people are putting this work into an academic. forms because when things are written in books, written in articles and things like that, that’s another form of flourishing, not just the typical performance.”
Boyce struggled with self-doubt and what he called “impostor syndrome,” where he struggled with feelings surrounding people telling him he should be satisfied with his accomplishments, while he longed for more.
“If you have a chance to do something great, why not do it?” the funny one.
Meanwhile, his experience has been filled with the reality of his skin color; Having lived in a country that is predominantly black, Boyce is now part of a school population of less than five percent black.
“I’ve never had to be so conscious of my race before, and I find myself in a place where the school population — I think there’s maybe a five percent black population and we’re talking about a 30-something school. thousands of students. I remember going places and the whole room would spin.”
“A lot of times, I think, I’m always aware of where I am and what I’m doing and I mean, it’s kind of sad that, in a way, you can’t let your guard down, but I think I understand what they go through anymore a lot of black Americans now, since I’m here. A lot of times, I’m the only black person in my class.”
Sadly, Boyce was racially profiled on his first day in the state. He went to buy a phone and was told that iPhones are usually bought to commit fraud, so the seller would be asked to contact his supervisor, something that is virtually unheard of.
Boyce went to the Apple store and was able to buy a phone (go figure).
Meanwhile, he thanked his mentor and mother for their invaluable support.
He concluded by saying, “Many times we think too much about the final destination and forget to enjoy the journey. I have no idea where this journey will take me, I have only just begun and some very beautiful things have happened so far, so I don’t want to shut myself down but one thing is for sure, my quest is definitely for Trinidad and Tobago and wherever I go I will always, always, always represent Trinidad and Tobago.”
The T&T native is already making his mark, having successfully applied to join the student advisory board of the McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture.
It takes a few drops of water to fill a bucket and Boyce has become a raindrop in a sea of individuals who happily push T&T’s global culture. It is a work to be proud of and his name is likely to be one that citizens will read or hear again.
