Insurance Student’s Journey from the Caribbean to St. John’s

Settling in at an aunt’s house in Springfield Gardens for his college years, he immediately noticed the Caribbean flavor of multicultural Queens. He also felt the warm welcome of the St. John’s community that was a remedy for any potential homesickness.

“I’m thankful that I came to St. John’s,” David, 21, said. “The transition to college is hard enough, but here I never feel as if I am that far from home.”

“I find it funny that I’m still in Jamaica—just Jamaica, Queens,” David continued.

David is the first to say Jamaica, Queens, is not the Caribbean. The chilly winters on St. John’s Queens, NY, campus are evidence enough of that. “I’ve climatized,” he joked. “I’m used to it now.”

But where Queens is lacking in tropical weather, it has plenty of what David experienced as a child, including Caribbean food, island music, soccer games, and friendly residents. The outgoing junior who is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Risk Management and Insurance at the Maurice R. Greenberg School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science, admits he is in a “perfect setting” to achieve at St. John’s.

And achieve he has. David holds a 3.9 grade point average while serving as a tutor in the University Learning Commons. As a volunteer with the R.I.S.E. Network, he helps Black and Latino first-year students adapt to life at St. John’s. He recently represented the University at an equity and inclusion conference sponsored by the National African American Insurance Association.  

David even found time to pass three exams given by the Society of Actuaries, one of the leading professional associations in the industry. Another three and he will have the necessary qualifications to be an actuarial associate. Seven more exams and he will qualify to be an actuarial fellow.

Actuaries use math and statistics to help clients manage the risks of financial investments, insurance policies, and other potentially risky ventures. They are especially valuable in developing economies such as Jamaica.

“In Jamaica, we have a fluctuating dollar, natural disasters, and issues with crime,” David said. “There are also issues with credit rates, and an inability to secure and pay loans back. I have always known that I wanted to use math to try to solve real-world problems.”

David shares his statistics and economics insights with fellow students twice a week; he is a popular tutor whose sessions book quickly. He likens his role as a tutor to that of a sherpa, leading students on a journey toward discovery.

“I always wanted to contribute something to St. John’s,” he said. “As a tutor, sometimes you can take students on a way that even a professor cannot. It is more of a friendly connection.”

David’s students appreciate his insights, even if they are not fully aware of his background. For example, he is an elite soccer player who, in the summer of 2021, played with a semiprofessional team in Spain. He was also captain last year of the Real NYC Football Club, a franchise in the United Premier Soccer League, the largest and most competitive pro development league in North America.

Now the challenge is to land a spot in one of the world’s top professional leagues, but David is prepared and understands the concept of risk management.

“I grew up playing in bare feet on a dead-end street in Jamaica,” David recalled. “I knew it was a risk to go play in Spain, but I knew a little Spanish—enough to navigate my way around at least—and I gained valuable experience.”