Meet Nyshauna Strachan

Nyshauna seeks and finds comfort in a ‘disciplined environment’ … situations in which good order prevails. It was therefore not surprising that, at the end of her secondary level of schooling, Nyshauna seriously considered a career in the military. She considered becoming an officer in the Jamaica Defence Force and actually took the first step towards this end.  Successes in her secondary school exams gave the Meadowbrook High School graduate a wide range of career options. It was while considering a professional career in the Jamaica Defence Force that she became aware of options offered by the Caribbean Maritime University. She applied, earned a Bachelor degree and, a mere 48 months after graduating high school, Nyshauna Strachan was sailing the oceans on some of the most luxurious passenger ships in the global cruise industry.

By Mike Jarrett

Mike Jarrett: How did your journey through the CMU actually begin?

Nyshauna Strachan:  As I approached the end of my high school years I wasn’t sure about a career choice, until my mother sat me down and asked: ‘Okay, you’re graduating soon, what are you going to do?’ I think that question opened my eyes to my immediate reality. I thought: ‘Oh, my gosh, I’m actually finishing high school now. So what am I going do?’

I was never a person who believed that I should be doing what everyone else was doing. I have always wanted to be different. So, I started thinking about what career path I should choose. I thought about aviation, architecture. And I also thought about joining the Jamaica Defence Force as an officer …until one of my best friends, Adivia Thompson, told me about Caribbean Maritime University and about her time there. That was what got me really interested. Adivia was then a student at CMU, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Logistics and Supply Chain Management.  I hadn’t heard much about Caribbean Maritime University while I was in high school.

Mike Jarrett: What did she say that made you interested in CMU?

Nyshauna Strachan:  I’m a strong believer in discipline. And, coming out of high school, I just felt that this was an area on which I needed to base my professional development.

 Mike Jarrett: Which is why the Jamaica Defence Force came to mind at an early stage … the discipline?

Nyshauna Strachan:  Yes. While still in my final year at Meadowbrook High my mom and I, visited the Jamaica Defence Force headquarters. I was so excited. I told the female officer that we met with that I wanted to join the JDF. “Miss, I want to join the Force.”  She laughed then replied: “Okay. Okay. I see that you’re interested.”

We had a conversation and at the end she suggested that I go home and think more about it; finish 6th Form (i.e. Grade 12) and return to join the JDF.  I was so excited. Well, I went and told my father this wonderful news. His advice was: keep your options open and do not put all your focus in one area. Do some more research.

 Mike Jarrett: But when and how did you develop this intensity with respect to the JDF? The average adolescent on leaving high school doesn’t have the army as a preferred career choice. Not only did you see the army as a possible choice; you had an intense interest in becoming a military officer, even from early years in high school. Where do you think this intensity comes from? From high school experiences, perhaps?

Nyshauna Strachan:  Perhaps leadership skills I developed in high school.  Personally, I was always challenged to attempt tasks when I am told ‘… not many girls are doing that’ or ‘not everyone is doing that’. That will always make me think ‘I am going to try’. And when I try I take on a positive mindset that drives me to do it to the best of my ability.  During my high school years, I was involved in a lot of activities. So, for example, I was doing Cheerleading. I started this at about age 14 and that continued. I was named Vice captain of my team and I was subsequently appointed Captain. I led the Meadowbrook High School Cheerleading team to the 2020 World Cheerleading Championships in Kissimmee, Florida.

As House Captain (Garthshore) I played a number of leadership roles … so I was doing Dance; I was involved in fundraising; planning events. I loved the teamwork. I loved engaging with my peers. Getting to know them; know their weaknesses; know their strong suits, so that we could work together and plan different strategies. So, for me, it was about leadership and just doing things that not everyone else was doing. I was not just going to categorize or limit myself just because everyone else chose to do a particular thing.  So, even when I realised that a carer in the JDF might be a challenge for me, I was okay with that because I knew I would have received the proper training to get me prepared and ready to be a part of the JDF team … that was until my best friend told me about CMU.

Mike Jarrett: What in these conversations with her about CMU impressed you the most?

Nyshauna Strachan: The first thing that actually drew me to CMU was its paramilitary programme; the Cadet Corps. It wasn’t the sea. It was just the discipline aspect of the university. This was something that I believed was lacking in high schools but that I could get from the CMU and from the JDF. Also, at this time, I became more and more appreciative of the many sacrifices of my parents in my development. As you get older, you start to appreciate some things more and more. So, I was also at this time thinking about what I can or should be doing to make my parents proud of me.

Mike Jarrett: Not many people aspire to leadership at an early age. Some people naturally want to go to the back of the line where it is safe. Some are shy and just don’t want the fanfare. Was yours a family of leaders … people who held leadership positions?

Nyshauna Strachan:  I would say mostly the women. I look up to my aunts, cousins and my mom as well. My aunties and my cousins are entrepreneurs. So that is something that I had as an inspiration. My aunt has one of the best restaurants in Kingston (Jamaica) Ziggy’s Restaurant. She’s been managing that for a very long time. It’s something that she takes pride in. Just seeing how she built it up over time is inspiring. It is a family business. My father is the Executive Chef at the restaurant.

My Mom is also an inspiration. During my high school years my mom was a supervisor and just to see how she took pride in her work said enough. When she reached work the reaction of her staff and how they respected her as their leader … it was very inspiring.  A lot of inspiration came from my parents. They would say things like:  ‘Don’t be a follower; be a leader; or, ‘Be a leader. Speak out.’. So, I was always one to ‘speak up’, and certainly wasn’t the one to stay at the back. My parents would be there, pushing me to the front, saying ‘Hello! Hello! Go! Go! Go! Go!’ (laughter).  At primary school I was a Prefect; a Student Monitor; then Senior Prefect. I was involved in pageants for Miss Half Way Tree Primary and Mini Miss Portmore. Being involved in all,these activities also helped to groom the person I am today.

Mike Jarrett: Where were you living at that time?

Nyshauna Strachan: In Portmore.*

(* Portmore is massive township on the southern-most extreme of the Jamaican capital city; while Meadowbrook High School is on the northern-most side of sub-urban Kingston Metropolitan Region.)

Mike Jarrett: Portmore!? And so you had to commute long hours from Portmore to Meadowbrook … and back?

Nyshauna Strachan: Every day.

Mike Jarrett: So you came to the end of your high school career. You are about to begin a new chapter in adolescent life. You‘re all excited. As you explained, your parents kept you close all the way through, laying foundations for objective thinking and independence of thought. You were taught not to lag behind or be dragged along but rather to lead the process … in class and on the playfield.

Nyshauna Strachan: Yes.

 Mike Jarrett: And you decided that your professional future would be based on a love for discipline and an aspiration for leadership.

Nyshauna Strachan: Yes.

Mike Jarrett: So now you’re transitioning to tertiary level education. Tell me about this transition.

Nyshauna Strachan:  So, as I said, I learned a lot about the CMU from one of my best friends but also from the coach of the Meadowbrook High School Cheerleading team at that time. He was also the coach of the CMU Cheerleading team. So, I’m thinking, this must be a sign … some form of intervention … to be attracted to CMU mainly because of its paramilitary programme and then to learn that my coach at high school was also associated with CMU and was their Cheerleading coach …. in that moment I am now thinking: ‘okay. I am fully on. I am going to CMU.’   So, I spoke with coach David Lamont about my interest in CMU. And, like Adivia, he encouraged me to seriously consider CMU. I was fascinated with what I was hearing from them both. I immediately told my parents about my decision.

If there is one thing I should say about my parents, they are very supportive of almost everything that I do. My parents pray for me a lot and, thanks to God, that’s why I am where I am now. I wanted a career that not all my peers were doing but, at the same time, a profession that would bring financial stability. I saw how my parents took care of me so I wanted to take care of them in return. So, when I spoke with my mom, she listened and then asked: “So what are you going to major in, Navigation or Engineering?”

She was a step ahead of me. I had to think about this a lot. After a bit of research it soon became clear what path I needed to take. I wanted to be Captain of the ship so the path I needed to take was the one that would take me there.  So, my decision was made. Navigation it is!

 Mike Jarrett: And how did your mom receive that decision?

Nyshauna Strachan: Both my mom and dad approved. So, I sent an application to CMU and I was accepted. I was really glad. Once I got accepted, I was told that I would be going to ‘boot camp’ … which we called Indoctrination. We were told that this would help to identify the best of the best. I was very excited about that because it was an opportunity to push myself physically. I loved challenges. So, I enjoyed my ‘boot camp’ experience knowing that that was my first steps into the maritime profession.

 

Mike Jarrett: But the specific area of study you ultimately decided to pursue was selected after your decision to seek education in a maritime university, right?

Nyshauna Strachan: Yes, yes!

 Mike Jarrett: What academic qualifications from high school that allowed you entry to the CMU?

Nyshauna Strachan: I did exams from the Caribbean Examinations Council including Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) Units 1 and 2. So, in high school I did Spanish, English Language, English Literature, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Human and Social Biology and IT. (i.e., Information Technology). And, for CAPE Units 1 and 2, I did Computer Science … which I hated! (chuckling).

Still, I faced that challenge but it was very difficult. I like challenges as I said so, having done IT at CSEC level, I decided that I’m just going to major in Computer Sciences as well … only because I think it’s knowledge that is good to have. Because I wasn’t doing well at something or didn’t feel comfortable with it doesn’t mean that I should quit. Once I see that whatever it is will give me purpose … an advantage … and, it is something that I need, I’m going to push myself to get it.  I decided to study Navigation because I wanted to become a ship captain. In order to become a captain, you have to go into Navigation. (chuckling)

Mike Jarrett: Tell us about your first day at CMU … your indoctrination. What was that like?

Nyshauna Strachan: Ah! The first day (sigh) ... it was hard. It was tiring as well. It was in the heat of Summer. It was hard. I’m not, going to sweet-talk it. I think that experience tested me as an individual as well.

One of the most important values that the CMU Cadet Corps placed emphasis on was team building and interpersonal skills. So, if you’re going to be on a ship, even if you do Navigation, you can’t sail safely without the involvement of Engineers. Team building is critical. Indoctrination also grounded me as an individual in taking on the role of leadership, bearing in mind that, as you said, some people naturally shy away from that. I didn’t shy away from tasks. In fact, I would volunteer knowing that, even if I was not able to achieve the objective, I would have gained some exposure and hands-on experience. And so I would always volunteer so as to learn something new, so that next time I knew specifically what I should improve on.

Mike Jarrett: So, your indoctrination was challenging but worthwhile in many respects.

Nyshauna Strachan:  Oh yes! It was hard. We woke up five o’clock in the morning … sometimes twelve o’clock … to do running, marching. We were out in the sun. My complexion even got darker in those two weeks. (laughter) But I knew this would come because this is what I signed up for … a para-military programme. So, yes. It was hard and it tested me in so many ways. Sometimes I felt really down. At one stage the thought that I may just have taken up something that I couldn’t manage brought self doubts that I had to fight. I told myself: no, no, no. I am going to prove to myself and everyone that I can do this.

When I decided to enroll at CMU I got that a lot, even from friends of the family who did not think that I should go to CMU. It was felt that the success rate of getting a career in the maritime field was not high. I was determined to prove them wrong.  Indoctrination exercises were done in St. Elizabeth. My dad drove from home in Portmore to St. Elizabeth, (more than 120 km) to check on me and bring me snacks. When he saw me he was obviously quite surprised. I had lost weight because of all the exercising and physical tasks … which for me was good because at that moment I must say that was the fittest I have ever been ( laughter). So I was slim with a darker complexion than he knew.

That visit from my father was motivation in itself. The fact that he drove across the country to visit me made me work even harder so as not to disappoint him and my mom. So, I committed to push myself. And that’s what I did all the way through Indoctrination. I just pushed myself.  Meanwhile, some of my friends unfortunately did not make it through Indoctrination … some because of personal reasons and others because they could not manage the physical training. My thoughts to myself were: ‘You can’t go home; you’ve come too far.’

 Mike Jarrett: For those who left for home and didn’t make it through Indoctrination, what aspect of the training do you think brought that decision to quit?

Nyshauna Strachan:  The physical aspect. I had been doing sports throughout my high school years. So I was accustomed to doing physical activities. During my Cheerleading practice we did a lot of physical exercises like push-ups, running and core work out. Even running … I wasn’t a track star, but if you tell me to run I am going to run. (laughter). Just imagine someone who was not normally active or doing physical training before. For them it would have been hard. As for me, sometimes, I was really tired but, in those moments, I say to myself: you have to push through; you have to push through.

Mike Jarrett: So, at the end of your CMU indoctrination, you felt like a winner. You had overcome a formidable challenge.

Nyshauna Strachan: Yes, I did. I felt really proud of myself

 Mike Jarrett: Knowing that you had dealt with a challenge that some of your colleagues were not successful at must have been quite inspiring.

Nyshauna Strachan:  For me it was like an examination and I had passed. I knew I had to keep on pressing and do what I do best to execute at my fullest potential.

 Mike Jarrett: How did you remain focused on your studies going through CMU?
Nyshauna Strachan:
I was always conscious that my parents had to get a loan to send me to school. And I knew that I couldn’t afford for that loan to go down the drain. The school fee wasn’t cheap, either. So, I knew I had to stay focused. I had to maintain good grades. And that’s what I did. At the end of year one I had a 3.9 GPA. I surprised myself. All during this time I was Captain of the CMU Cheerleading team. So, I was doing extracurricular activities in Year One. It was very, very hard, because I just didn’t have any time to slack-off. My classes generally ended at 4.00 pm. Cheerleading started at 5.00 pm and ended at 7.30 pm. It is at that hour that I am leaving CMU’s Palisadoes campus to travel to Portmore.  I’d be reaching home at night, between 9 and 10 o’clock …  to wake up at 4 a.m. to commute back to school from Portmore.

 Mike Jarrett: Tough schedule?

Nyshauna Strachan:  It was very difficult. I didn’t have any time to waste. At school, during lunch time, I was studying. I had to use all those little gaps in time, because I knew that when I got home exhausted and tried to study it would be my parents waking me up and sending me off to bed because I fell fast asleep over the books at the table. So, I had to use those few little hours as they became available throughout the day to study. And that’s what I did. I needed to maintain a good GPA. And I needed to do well in my extra-curricular activities … which was important to me because I was doing that from I was 14 years old at Meadowbrook High School.

Mike Jarrett: This level of pressure while, at the same time, staying healthy, required strong support, which you as you said you got from your parents.

Nyshauna Strachan:  Oh yes! My parents gave strong support. When I came home, dinner was always ready and waiting. It was that kind of support system that I had at home. And that support helped to motivate me and to block out the negative comments and feedback that I got for doing both extra-curricular activities and academics at the same time.

Mike Jarrett: So now you’re in a strange academic environment as compared to high school. You’re now doing subjects you never did before; receiving new information; processing new ideas. Through the academic programme, you’re now being exposed to a different world. What subjects, ideas and processes interested you in your first year at CMU?

Nyshauna Strachan: We had quite a bit of mathematics at the start. I can’t remember now in which order we had them but we started with Calculus, Physics. I had done Integrated Maths in 6th form. I had Celestial Navigation, which is known as Offshore and Onshore navigation, that Miss Billie Jean Campbell taught. She was my favorite teacher at that time. She pushed me to learn. That subject was, I think, a major challenge for a lot of students in year one.

I saw that it would be a challenge. She had warned us as well. Students struggled with it because it’s mostly calculations and formulas and in order to pass you have to study. That’s why you we were always warned by her. ‘Do the work; this course is a ‘no-joke’ course; it’s going to follow you all the way through your career,’ she would say. And it did. Being the person that I am, I took Miss Billie Jean Campbell seriously in dealing with Celestial Navigation. In this early period, I also did Maritime Law; and, Magnetic and Gyro (compasses).

Mike Jarrett: You were a member of CMU’s 2019 batch, the third batch of students after the university received its charter in 2017. What was the intra-batch relationship like?

Nyshauna Strachan:  It was positive. Students from previous year groups would share their class notes with us and in many ways encourage us. They shared knowledge and gave us really good advice when approaching a certain subject or task which was assigned. The idea was to share knowledge freely among ourselves.

I was voted Class Representative – Year 1 in that year. My batch mates voted me for that. I was humbled by that vote of confidence and so I committed myself to making sure that they were on top of everything that was relevant to their progress. I tried to make sure that they knew what was happening. So, over time, my Year 1 group formed a bond in which we tried to help each other.

 Mike Jarrett:Where are you now, as far as that academic programme is concerned? What’s your next step?

Nyshauna Strachan: I just completed Year 4 at CMU. My next step now is going to sea. I am scheduled to go board ship in July 2024 to Royal Caribbean. During CMU Year 3, I got a contact from Royal Caribbean. They had reached out to me, thanks to the American Caribbean Maritime Foundation Scholarship Board. Just to back track a bit, CMU Year 2 was Covid 19. During that time, it was very hard. It took a toll on everyone financially. I had classmates who dropped out of their academic programme, because of the Covid 19 pandemic.

In my search for an answer to those problems, I heard about the American Caribbean Maritime Foundation (ACMF). I heard that they were giving scholarships. I had never been awarded a scholarship before so I thought, maybe this is not for me. But I decided to try anyway. The loan that my mother had received in year one was a four-year loan. I just didn’t want my parents to be spending any more money on me at all. They had done so much already. So, I applied to the ACMF for the scholarship, thinking that, if I am successful, at least my 2nd year of tuition would be paid.  You know what? I got it! I was so excited but not as much as when I read that the scholarship would finance my remaining years at CMU as long as I maintained my GPA above 3.0.  I was so grateful to God about that. When I told my parents they were so very, very happy.

The ACMF has a ‘job board’ in which students are encouraged to post their resumés so that companies can contact them. I decided to post my resumé there. About six months after posting my resumé, as I was going into my CMU Year 3, Royal Caribbean contacted me.

Mike Jarrett: That would have been quite a surprise, since you’re then still in ‘school’.

Nyshauna Strachan: Surprise!? I was in shock!. I’m like: What!! Is this really happening? This little girl from Portmore that, up to then, did nothing significant as yet, except work hard and follow instructions, was offered six months on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. I was in disbelief. I boarded the Mariner of the Seas in August of 2022 and my initial contract was extended by a month to 7 months.

Yes, it was a life-changing experience. It was something that I didn’t expect so early at CMU. I thought that maybe after CMU Year 4 and graduating I would get a posting somewhere. But with me getting that opportunity then, it opened my eyes to certain things. That experience so early in my career confirmed that this was what I wanted to do. I worked really hard during my Cadetship at Royal Caribbean. I put my all into it. I had a great team there on board they taught me so much and made my experience so memorable. I will forever be grateful for that.  So, now in my final year of studies, CMU Year 4, Royal Caribbean has offered me another contract to finish my cadetship programme this year. Which will be in July 2024. That is my next objective … successfully completing my cadetship.

Mike Jarrett: So now you are exiting another sphere in your career. The transition from primary school to high school was not a process that you had much control over. The transition from high school to university allowed more choice but, even then, there are limiting factors … such as finance or geography perhaps. You’re now successfully graduating university … making another transition in your life but without the limitations of previous ones. What are your present thoughts about the future?

Nyshauna Strachan:  First let’s look at the short term. I have to finish my cadetship. My immediate goal is to get my license. I want to become a Second Officer on board a cruise ship. I love cruise ships. I love the job. I love interacting with people. I think that passengers are the most important ‘cargo’ travelling the oceans of the world. This reality keeps me on guard. There is no room for carelessness or slacking off. Duties, especially inspections have to be carefully executed. So, I think, being on a passenger vessel keeps me sharp and alert at all times.

Finishing my cadetship will lead to my getting my license as a Second Officer and it will mark the beginning of a process leading to Captain. That is still something that I aspire to. I still hear comments like, ‘as a woman you may want to have kids and stay home rather than pursue life as a ship Captain’. But, as usual, I treat those comments as motivation. Meanwhile, my focus is to develop my technical abilities and depth of knowledge; and, acquiring experiences so as to become one of Jamaica’s and the Caribbean’s first female cruise ship captains. That is my goal.

Mike Jarrett: Is there a particular moment, situation of person that immediately comes to mind as you recall your years at the CMU?

Nyshauna Strachan: I would say definitely, a person, one of my lecturers Miss Billie Jean Campbell, as I said before. She always had words of wisdom for her students and she motivated us as women as well. I remember her saying, when you’re finished here pursue your dreams. Don’t wait for anyone to put you on a ship. You go out and put yourself on a ship.

She always tried to help us in any way she could. She was that lecturer you were not afraid to approach with a problem. So, I always went to her to ask her advice. I learnt a lot from this lady who had already been in the industry and was always pushing us as individuals, to pursue our dreams. She was the one that, from CMU Year 2, pushed me to start doing subjects in the Maritime Authority of Jamaica External Examinations so as to get my license. I did those subjects in CMU Year 2. I was nervous about it because Year 2 is a bit early to do it. Most persons do it in Year 4 or afterwards but I had solid and dependable home support from parents and at school with the lecturers and Miss Billie Jean Campbell. She actually taught one of the MAJ courses. When I passed those examinations I was so relieved.

It was inspiring to have lecturers who had real life experiences going to sea. And their coming back to share their most recent experiences was a great motivation. The fact that they are active seafarers gives students confidence and reassurances that ‘you can do it too’.. As a young maritime student this inspired me. I felt I could have a career at sea and come back, if even to teach at CMU. []

[Nyshauna Strachan resumed her duties with Royal Caribbean in July 2024. According to plans, at the end of her six-month tour of duty, just about when this interview is published, she would have returned to Jamaica to sit the final two papers of the 13 that comprise the Maritime Authority of Jamaica’s examinations. – MJ]

  • FIRST PUBLISHED: December 20, 2024

– Mike Jarrett