Jamaica’s higher education landscape witnessed a historic milestone last Wednesday as 22-year-old Jamaela Record became the Caribbean Maritime University’s inaugural graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science. Her journey from childhood fascination with crime investigation television shows to becoming a national pioneer exemplifies dedication and transformative educational ambition.
Introduced in 2021 to bolster Jamaica’s counter-terrorism capabilities and investigative prowess, the forensic science program employs rigorous scientific methodologies including DNA analysis, toxicology, and digital forensics within criminal investigations and legal contexts. Record discovered the program through online channels and immediately enrolled, recognizing the opportunity to convert her lifelong interest into professional practice.
The academic path proved challenging as initial cohort numbers dwindled from approximately six students to just Record persevering through the four-year curriculum. She reframed these obstacles as investigative challenges, approaching each difficulty as evidence leading toward ultimate resolution rather than reasons for abandonment.
Hailing from Clarendon, Record describes her pioneering achievement as blending pressure, pride, and profound purpose. Without upper-level students to provide guidance or existing models to follow, she developed self-reliance and disciplinary rigor while recognizing her responsibility to establish benchmarks for future candidates.
Record acknowledged faculty advisors and lecturers as crucial supporters throughout her academic journey, alongside family encouragement and spiritual strength derived from her favorite biblical passage, Philippians 4:13. Her professional formation was further enhanced through an internship with the Jamaica Constabulary Force, providing hands-on experience with evidence handling and investigative procedures that emphasized the critical importance of integrity and confidentiality.
The graduate emphasized forensic science’s unique position at the intersection of scientific inquiry, justice administration, and societal impact. She characterized the field as fundamentally concerned with uncovering truths through meticulous evidence examination, requiring both technical expertise and unwavering ethical commitment.
Looking forward, Record aims to specialize in cyber forensics while contributing to public safety, national development, and law enforcement effectiveness. She encourages prospective students to embrace the program’s challenges, noting that forensic science transcends laboratory work to represent a deeper commitment to justice, accountability, and societal service through evidentiary storytelling.