SHELDON WILLIAMS, STAFF REPORTER

At age 24, André Stephens' interests remain embedded in academia as he is now poised to complete his PhD programme in sociology in Seattle at the University Of Washington.

Stephens' meritorious academic achievements include eight subjects (seven distinctions) in the CXC exams while at Kingston College, and a B.Sc. with honours in political studies and international cooperation at the University Of The West Indies (UWI) (Mona Campus).

At the postgraduate level, Stephens earned an M.Sc. with honours in political studies, also at the UWI. This served as a preamble to his doctoral studies.

Interestingly, the young achiever is also a fluent speaker of French, having mastered the language during his academic sojourns abroad at the University of the French Antilles and Guiana and the Institute of Political Studies Bordeaux in France.

He travelled to the French-speaking territories as part of a joint programme between the UWI and the French government.

Though his academic achievements continue to garner acclaim from his peers, Stephens remains grounded as he further qualifies himself for a career in sociology.

When asked if he considers himself a genius or overly smart, Stephens is quick to deny both labels.

" I consider myself academically inclined. I am interested in scholarship and the cut and thrust of academic debate. Others are interested in other things - advancing up the corporate ladder, wealth accumulation, political success, etc," he said.

He added, "Success comes when, in addition to your interests, you apply yourself when given the opportunity to do so. There is no such thing as innate intellect or intelligence. As a French adage says, 'it is in forging iron that one becomes a blacksmith'."

THE STAR sought to gain further insight into, among other things, the young scholar's doctrines, framework for success, support systems, and future plans.

Q: Among your many academic achievements, which are you most proud of?

A: I don't rank them in any particular order, but I suppose I could make mention of the fact that having studied at a very prestigious French institute in a language that is not my native tongue, I was able to graduate with my master's with honour.

Q:What is your academic area of expertise?

A: I consider myself a specialist in political sociology, but I've dabbled in virtually every area of the social sciences including economics, political science, law, history and civilisation, development, and international cooperation.

Q: How do you keep yourself motivated academically?

A: It is important to have a healthy desire for success in whatever endeavour one undertakes - one which says I won't rest until the job is done and done well.

Additionally, I think that in academia, one must have a sense of purpose and duty. My purpose is to give critical thought to the prevailing structures of social injustice and inequality which afflict Jamaica and so many other countries in both the developed and developing worlds. My duty is to remain true to the facts and the rigours of intellectual analysis.

Q:What are your academic goals?

A: My immediate goal is to complete my PhD programme at the University of Washington while gaining teaching experience and publishing articles.

Q: What are your long-term academic goals - 10 years and over?

A: My long-term goal is to lecture and to establish a research centre which contributes to a critical understanding of the social problems within our society.

Q: What is your IQ?

A: I tend to laugh at such questions. I really don't know, nor do I believe that such measures are valid. It is important to note that some persons do better at testing than others (and this has nothing to do with their level of intelligence). Such tests also have a heavy cultural bias, which is to say that if you are from the same race, class, sex, religion, etc, as those who design the test, you will tend to do better.

Q: Did you have difficulty in funding your education?

A: Yes, I am from humble means, so funding my education meant extraordinary sacrifices for my family throughout high school and university.

I was also fortunate to get funding from the French government and the University of Washington during my sojourns abroad. Without financial support, I would never have had the opportunities for which I am now grateful.

It is why I continue to lament the lack of state funding for education. A government like ours, which spends more each month on travelling allowances for the cars of its high-level functionaries than it spends on educating a child during those months is a government without decent priorities.

Q: How influential were your parents and family unit in you achieving academic excellence?

A: My family has been extremely supportive and encouraging. I know that they perhaps had expectations that I would have entered the corporate world where, if you establish the right networks, salaries tend to be much higher than in academia.

They have come to understand that in spite of the glamour of white-collar life, my drive and passions are elsewhere. I am really grateful to have that level of support because it would have been that much more difficult if those who I love and live for doubted my choices. My mother deserves special mention in this regard.

Q:What is your career goal?

A: My career goal is to develop innovative interdisciplinary approaches to understanding structural problems within the Jamaican society and to have these approaches contribute to meaningful dialogue and social change.