Photo provided by Abigail Taylor
Abigail Taylor, an international student from Jamaica, decided to go to a university in Florida because of how close Florida is to her home country. She said she chose USFSP because of its great price.
When I asked her if she ever gets homesick, Taylor said, “I get extremely homesick. I wish I was home most times; except when I’m hanging out with the friends I made here. The things I miss the most are the food, the type of events, the lifestyle, and the community/friends.”
Taylor is a first year student majoring in biology. After she graduates, she intends to go to vet school. “Animals are much cuter than people,” Taylor said. Taylor wants to open a proper animal hospital in Jamaica; she says there’s mainly private practices in Jamaica and the JSCPA (Jamaica Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) isn’t as established as it should be.
While she’s only a freshman and a commuter, that doesn’t mean Taylor isn’t highly involved on campus. In fact, Taylor is the Vice President of the Caribbean Cultural Exchange club. When I asked her why she’s involved in the club, she said, “As an international student, the first thing you do is look for something that reminds you of home.”
Taylor’s favorite things to do on campus are eating at the reef and hanging out with her friends. “Some of my favorite memories is laughing over non-sense in the booths at the reef with my friends,” said Taylor.
Taylor is also involved in the St. Pete community. She’s involved with the Uhuru House which focuses on building the black community on South Side St. Pete. She also goes to a lot of local restaurants like Meze 119 and Gateway to India; she gives their food a glowing recommendation.
When I asked her what she wants people to know about her, Taylor said, “I’m not as serious as I look…I’m probably one of the goofiest people you’ll ever meet!”
HCXOXO,
Kelli Carmack