Interview with Solange Bruce

I cried all the way to England. Solange admits with a chuckle as she recalls her experience studying abroad. She was twenty-nine years old when she made the very brave decision to pack up her bags and make the 8-hour plane trip to Luton University in England. However, the idea of leaving the familiarity of her home country to start her one-year MBA in Marketing was as scary as it was exciting.

Solange, who did her first degree at the UWI in Management Studies, said that while she would recommend students do their first degree at the UWI, every student should try to experience studying abroad. Going overseas helps the maturity process, she says, since it requires a degree of independence, you have to make your own decisions and live by these decisions so it basically helps us to grow up.

Speaking from her 37 years of wisdom, Solange notes that as a student studying abroad You are on your own, there's no family unit to depend on. You have to cook for yourself and learn to manage your time, your money and your life properly.

When asked about her experience with the Student Revolving Loan Fund, Solange said that the SRLF was the ideal student loan alternative to commercial banks since she needed funds to use right away and repay when she recommenced work. She explained that with most of the student loans offered by commercial banks, the students are required to start repaying at least the interest on the loan while studying.

As it relates the Student Revolving Loan Fund's loan application procedure, Solange confessed that she found the process to very long and at times discouraging, but her loans officer, who she described as extremely helpful and nice, made the entire experience pleasant.

Currently, Solange is working at the Barbados National Bank Inc. as the Assistant Manager for Marketing & Corporate Communications, a job that she loves and enjoys. Solange is now diligently repaying her loan and looking forward to the day when the loan would be repaid in full. However, when asked if she would do anything differently, she said frankly, No. I had no other choice at the time, while adding that the Student Revolving Loan Fund was ideal for students who had the desire to study abroad but did not have the financial means to do so on their own.