Blog

Jarell Alder is the embodiment of taking a village to raise a child. His childhood was one of being molded by the people around him. Now he is a Design Strategist and customer experience professional who himself molds somewhat young minds in higher education through his role as a Student Engagement Manager. He wants to create an environment where students will become empowered and have meaningful experiences outside of the classroom. As someone who had a positive university experience, he intends to draw on his unique professional skills and competencies to develop a positive campus experience for students and foster new traditions in this post pandemic world.

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I moved to Tobago at a very tender age with my single parent mom to attain a better quality of life. As a child, I thankfully maintained a great sense of focus, independence and responsibility not because it was my preference, but rather the need to survive my then, less than ideal life circumstances. When my mom migrated, I came face to face with the reality and dynamics of “adulthood”.  My younger years were financially and emotionally challenging but it led to self-discovery, grounding and the building of character. My unconventional experience of being a young boy growing up without a strong family/parental presence in my life, challenged me to build capacity and perspective. I explored my passions, interests and potential and stimulated my interest in philanthropy, mentorship, creativity/innovation and life-long learning.  

I learned about the value and impact of community very early. I was cared for by neighbours, teachers, members of the church and the parents of some of my classmates who recognised my needs as a young boy navigating through life.

These persons (along with my mother), collectively made up my support system and showed their care for my well-being and development in varying ways. I was exposed to both athletics and the performing arts and became actively involved in track & field and dance for a number of years, which led to the unwavering love I now have for community development and culture.

Professionally, I am a Design Strategist and Experience Designer. I work primarily to define, create and optimize the interactions between an end user/customer and a particular product or service or even their engagement in a programme, event or activity. I aim to develop and launch strategies that will solve problems, elicit positive emotional responses and/or drive usage or stimulate desired behavioral patterns from the identified target audience, customer or end-user. I am concerned with producing meaningful experiences and engagement with customers, using a human-centred approach and putting the needs of the customer at the heart of the experience. By using a Design Thinking approach, I am focused on positively transforming the way organizations develop products, services, processes, and strategy for ultimate customer satisfaction, business growth and the achievement of goals.

At first I could not see the linkages but now I can appreciate how my foundation in theatre and production management prepared me for the world of customer experience as well as events and project management.

Now as I  currently work in higher education, I am able to use design and design thinking as a strategy to create programming for students and design experiences and engagement tactics that help to advance the institution’s holistic development and student centredness missions. 

Over the past few years, my greatest contributions in higher education have been in student engagement, specifically the development of multi-disciplinary programmes, events and initiatives that have become flagship and the creation of engagement opportunities for students beyond the classroom. 

Now, as Manager of Student Engagement, I aim to diversify the educational experience by empowering the student population to engage in developmental opportunities, campus activities/traditions and meaningful experiences through which they can explore passions and interests that extend beyond the classroom. I want to contribute to their holistic development and to help build a vibrant student community. I hope to inspire students to engender campus pride and to become co-producers of their university experience. I really want to contribute to a dynamic, personalized, rewarding and positive experience for all students.

The UWI St Augustine campus changed my life positively and this is in great measure to the wholesome experience I gained during my time as a student.

I believe that students are coming to higher education institutions to be transformed and it is our responsibility to help them achieve both their personal and professional goals during their time with us. The experience that they gain at the institution, inclusive of the lessons learnt and competencies developed in and out of the classroom, will determine how far they go into the world, the type of contributions they are able to make to our society and future world and the impact they will have as global citizens. The tertiary education experience continues to be one of the most important formative experiences. It is a time when students are not only immersed in exploring the world and discovering new ideas but also learning and finding out more about themselves. With this understanding, the delivery of a positive student experience is critical not just for the student’s benefit but also for the institution.

The return to campus, following the relaxing of COVID-19 measures, presents an opportunity to design a new campus life experience with and for students; to develop new traditions and produce engagement and developmental opportunities that will empower students to become co-producers of their university experience.  An opportunity to establish customer intimacy is also presented which will help significantly in confronting the issue of low engagement as the campus will now have an opportunity to better understand the expectations and evolving demands students have of their university experience so that these can be suitably addressed and met. 

As young professionals we are often overlooked specifically with leadership opportunities and our capacity to effect meaningful change is underestimated. This can be discouraging.

On a personal level, I believe that we sometimes struggle with imposter syndrome and lack of mentorship to make better decisions. I am lucky to have met some inspiring professionals along my creative and professional journey  like Dr Jacqueline Huggins, Ms. Cheryl Carter, Mr. Elvis Radgman, Mrs.-Rayshawn Pierre-Kerr and Mr. Jessel Murray. As an undergraduate student, I was inspired by the current Director of Student Services at The UWI, St. Augustine, Dr Deirdre Charles, to pursue Student Services as a profession. Her passion is admirable and she is responsible for creating my first opportunity to enter into the Student Services field as a young professional. 

If I am to share any advice, I will encourage every young person to find their distinctive selling point, i.e. those skills and/or qualities that are unique to you and what solidify the value that you add to any organization, mission or experience. Create a plan with realistic goals and spend time in upskilling and engaging in continuous learning. Align yourself with a mentor, build a strong spiritual foundation, prioritize your well-being, stay true to your authentic self and trust the process so that you can appreciate each experience in your life, whether good or bad, as being essential to the building of your character. Believe in yourself and strive to find wholesomeness in yourself and not in others.

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Before pursuing tertiary education at The UWI St Augustine, Jarell attended Scarborough Methodist Primary School and Scarborough Secondary School.