Rhodes Scholar Nile Anderson has a ‘Nile’-long string of achievements

FLOWING NORTH into the Mediterranean Sea, the River Nile is widely regarded as the longest river in the world. And Nile Anderson’s mother, a geography teacher, and now principal of Savanna-la-Mar Primary School in Westmoreland, named him after that biblical storied river, and another son, Jordon, after another biblical river, Jordan.

Anderson’s list of academic achievementsis is now as long as the River Nile, metaphorically, and it started at Loving Care Christian Academy in St Ann. It flowed all the way to Savanna-la-Mar Infant School and then Savanna-la-Mar Primary School. His scores in the Grade Six Achievement Test placed him at St Andrew’s Campion College, but he opted to go to Westmoreland’s Manning’s School.

At Manning’s, he copped 16 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate subject, and 16 Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination units, making him the top matriculant to The University of the West Indies, Mona (The UWI) campus for the 2016-2017 academic year and the recipient of the UWI Open Scholarship. Before that, he had a Caribbean Examination Council scholarship in 2014 for being the ‘Region’s Most Outstanding Candidate in the Sciences’.

Anderson started studies at The UWI in the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree programme but switched to engineering, which he loves. The recipience of the Sagicor Foundation Scholarship and the inaugural JLP Education Fund’s Donald Sangster Engineering Scholarship helped him to cover his tuition fees.

In the electronics programme in the Faculty of Engineering, Anderson was named the ‘Most Outstanding Level I Electronics Engineering’ student. Then COVID-19 and its attendant major challenges presented themselves. But Anderson persevered and got the highest Grade Point Average (GPA) in the electronics engineering programme and second highest GPA in the faculty.

He was inducted into the Faculty of Engineering Honour Society and the Taylor Hall (a hall of residence) Honour Society and was a Taylor Hall valedictorian. Upon graduation last year, he was named the top graduate from the electronics engineering programme, and he is now the 2024 Rhode Scholarship recipient, who will attend Oxford University in England to study in the area of artificial intelligence.

And with each mention of the academic assistance that he got, Anderson used the word “blessed”, and those blessings are from God, he believes, he being a Christian. So when he was asked why his focus was so much on academics, he said, “One of the reasons is to honour my family and friends who have made lots of sacrifices to help me reach this level so far.

“A lot of us aren’t coming from much. Another is to make sure I am fully equipped to pay it forward to other young Jamaicans aspiring to excel academically. However, the foremost reason is to glorify the Lord Jesus with the abilities and opportunities I have been gifted with.”

Outside of academics, Anderson is involved in his church. He said he was happy to have received the opportunity to go on the JEMM/SAMM Mutual Mission Youth Exchange. He also volunteered for many projects and activities by The UWI Mona Guild and Sagicor Foundation from time to time, and as a tutor, since high school, offering free sessions to students struggling with math-related subjects.

“I hope to continue to use my ability first to glorify the Lord and secondly, to help bridge the skill gap in Jamaica. However, the most fulfilling experience in my amateur career is currently being able to help spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ through my church’s (The King’s Sanctuary) Drama Ministry,” he said.

Drama? Yes, drama. For don’t think for a second that Anderson’s brain is one-sided. “I love drama! Thespianism has always been alluring to me. I used to love doing skits in high school. At UWI, I even had the opportunity to be a part of the Smoker charity play that helped to raise $4.2 million for the Port Maria Hospital,” he disclosed.

In high school, he was a president of the Chess Club, a member of the School’s Challenge Quiz team for one year, and a member of the Math Olympiad Team. He was also involved in the Science and Spanish clubs and has won medals for public speaking, but he could not dance to save his life.

“I remember one time performing a dance piece at the National Spanish Festivals. That’s a memory I hope no one has a video of. I don’t have much rhythm, you see,” he shared.

Anderson might not have rhythm, but he has got coveted prizes. In 2018, he received the Governor General Achievement Award for academic excellence and service in community. And two weeks ago, he was one of four people awarded for excellence in academics at the Prime Minister National Youth Awards for Excellence.

“I think these awards are first, a reminder of God’s faithfulness. I love Jesus and all he has done for me. Second, however, I think this is a confirmation of God’s purpose for my life. I’ve always said that I have wanted to create a positive change in Jamaica by contributing to academia. I have started to see more and more that this seems to be the trajectory that the Lord has for me. I must acknowledge the Lord because there have been many periods of hopelessness and despair on the way here, but He has kept me up to this very moment,” Anderson shared.

God, then, is always going to be a factor, but what does he plan to do with his life, professionally? He said, “Ultimately, I want to become a lecturer and pioneering researcher in the field of robotics and artificial intelligence, if it is God’s will. I want to facilitate a greater intersection between the two fields, and help bridge the skill gap between Jamaica and other First World countries.

“I have a great interest in artificial intelligence and the advancement of technology overall in Jamaica. This new-age technology will require new-age policies to both have our citizens feel safe, secure, and protected, as well as to ensure the general populace can have access to this technology themselves to increase productivity. The formation of such strong policies will need professional consultancy. God willing, this is where I see myself in the equation right now, as a policy consultant. To Jesus be the glory.”