Salmon sisters cross UWI finish line together

Though separated by different programmes and academic journeys of unequal length, two sisters found themselves united at the finish line.

Denecia Salmon, and her sister, Dr Sara Salmon, graduated together from The University of the West Indies (UWI), marking a milestone shaped by unwavering faith and the support of a family rooted in academic excellence.

“It was a motivation for me knowing that we’re going to be ending together and we’re going to be graduating together,” Denecia told The Gleaner, as she reflected on their achievement.

She graduated from The UWI on January 17 with a master’s in educational leadership and management, while her sister, Sara, graduated two days earlier with a Doctor of Medicine in Haematology and Medical Oncology.

Denecia’s programme, which she did online, lasted two years, while Sara’s took five years to complete.

“It was a very tumultuous battle,” Sara said.

DEEP RELIANCE ON FAITH

She shared that she failed at her first attempt at the Doctor of Medicine exam, and for a while felt her dream slipping away. That setback, however, quickly transformed into determination, strengthened by her deep reliance on faith.

“This last time was my last chance to become a haematologist and a medical oncologist,” she said, explaining that students are allowed a maximum of two attempts at the exam.

“I just always thought about, if I didn’t make it this time, what would I do. Could I go back to being a GP (general practitioner), having done all the work throughout the journey for five years? Could I return, knowing I am a GP and I couldn’t reach for my actual dream?” Sara added.

During this time, her sister also played an essential role in reinforcing her self-belief.

“The day of my second-to-last exam, she came to UWI because she did her course off-site … and she said, ‘You know, we’re gonna graduate together!’, and I’m like, ‘You’re gonna graduate, I don’t know about me’,” Sara said.

She said they even created a video to mark the moment, which lifted her spirits and increased her optimism.

And she adjusted her approach to studying, to ensure her second attempt would be the charm.

“I am not going to do something over and over and expect a different result. I am somebody where I am going to analyse and when I find what my weak point is, or what the issue is, I am going to work on that because I want the best result,” Sara said.

Denecia, who is an English and communication studies teacher at the St Elizabeth Technical High School, said she had faced a number of obstacles on her academic journey, but overcame each one by keeping her eyes on the ultimate goal.

“Being in a classroom for over a decade, you want to ensure that you are grasping and you are preparing best practices, and so on. And I thought going to get my master’s would give me a little edge, a little encouragement to facilitate and ensure that my students are getting the best version of me,” she said.

OVERWHELMING

During her first year, she was involved in a car accident in which her vehicle was destroyed. Four months later, while beginning her second year, she got into another car crash, and the vehicle was again written off.

“I lost it the second time. I was just going to start my second year at UWI, and that was the first day of going back to my job, and the first day of when I was supposed to start school online. It was horrible. I cannot explain the feeling I felt. I just felt like screaming,” she said.

She shared that she also had to secure two part-time online jobs to finance her programme, while balancing motherhood to a young child, which at times became burdensome.

“Sometimes this meant having my daughter across my lap. She would get really flustered because I had no time for her. Sometimes it would be very hard for me, because it becomes overwhelming, and so on,” she said.

Nonetheless, the sisters, who are from Southfield in St Elizabeth, said they tenaciously pursued their goal, knowing that they were contributing to a family that takes great pride in excelling academically.

Denecia, the third of six children, shared that her eldest sibling owns and operates a college in Manchester, while one brother is an educator, one sister is an engineer, and another is a clinical psychologist.

“My parents would always instil in us the value of education, and how it will take us out of poverty and take us places,” the 37-year-old said.

sashana.small@gleanerjm.com