It is often said “Jamaicans are everywhere.” We can add Ukraine to the list.
KC Old Boy Owen Waugh is a 3rd year medical student studying at the V. N. Karmazin Kharkiv National University in the city of Kharkiv, Ukraine. There are 14 other Jamaicans studying in that city with 12 enrolled in medical school. Another five students are in the city of Donetz.
Describing his experiences in Ukraine, Owen says, “I get to experience a myriad of different cultures (within my group are Egyptians, Nigerians, Namibians, Israelis) so culturally I'm well exposed. Being away from home is teaching me how to be more efficient in decision making: making and sticking to a budget, time management, responsibilities (cooking, cleaning, studying). I feel more well-rounded. Also I see it as a plus learning Russian.”
According to Owen, even though the national language is Ukranian most persons speak Russian. They pay great attention to aesthetics; planting flowers every autumn. Ukrainians are not as sociable as we are used to in western cultures. They are not overtly friendly and distrust people who are as potential con artists and thieves.
He first heard about the medical school from a friend at church who already had friends studying there. His younger brother Tarik Simpson is also studying medicine in the same program.
Owen spent his early childhood in Rock Hall in West rural St. Andrew before moving to Harbour View. He attended KC from 2004 to 2011. His favorite memories from KC include time spent in Swimming practice, ISCF meetings and earning the right to wear the white shirt in 6th form.
After leaving KC he studied environmental biology at UWI where he earned the BSc degree with double honours. He also returned to KC as a volunteer chemistry and biology lab assistant after leaving the college.