Twelve years ago, Devan Peters left his small island home of Belmont, St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), for a life-changing opportunity half a world away. What began as a 2014 Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) scholarship to study Mandarin and complete an undergraduate degree has evolved into a rare and remarkable achievement: Peters now serves as an engineer at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the global powerhouse that dominates 70% of the world’s contract semiconductor manufacturing and supplies critical chips to tech giants from Apple to Nvidia.
As the only known Vincentian employee at TSMC’s Taiwan headquarters and one of just a handful of Caribbean professionals on the company’s roster, Peters’ journey is far more than a tale of individual career success. It is a case study in strategic planning, resilience, and unwavering commitment to lifting up his home country, even as he builds a life thousands of miles from its shores.
Peters’ path to TSMC was not a given. His first attempt at securing the MOFA Taiwan scholarship in 2013 ended in rejection. Rather than abandoning the goal, he re-applied the following year and earned the award that brought him to Taipei. After a year of intensive Mandarin study at National Taiwan Normal University, he enrolled in Tamkang University’s electrical and computer engineering program – completing his entire bachelor’s degree in Mandarin, a feat few international students attempt. He went on to earn a master’s degree in the same field from National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, and today balances a full-time engineering role at TSMC while completing a PhD focused on semiconductor test circuit design.
Breaking into the hyper-competitive semiconductor sector at a top firm like TSMC required intentional preparation long before Peters ever submitted a job application. Instead of waiting to apply for roles after graduation, he mapped his academic and skill-building journey around industry requirements. “I identified the roles I wanted; for example, integrated circuit designer, then studied the job postings for those roles to see exactly which skills companies were asking for,” Peters explained. “From there, I worked backwards. I chose courses that mapped directly to those requirements and built a project portfolio around them so that when a hiring manager looked at my CV, they immediately saw someone who already fit the role.”
This strategic approach paid off, landing him interviews with multiple major global tech companies before he accepted his current role at TSMC. Peters notes that technical expertise alone is not enough to succeed in Taiwan’s engineering sector: fluency and commitment to Mandarin are non-negotiable, as most workplaces operate entirely in the local language. He also emphasizes the importance of maintaining full legal compliance for visas, residency, and work authorization – small details that can derail even the most qualified candidate’s prospects.
Throughout every challenge of his 12-year journey, Peters says his Christian faith, the inspiration of his siblings who pursued overseas higher education, and the support of loved ones kept him grounded. In Taiwan, he particularly credits his wife Shemon Baptiste-Peters and local Vincentian cultural ambassador Peggy Carr for standing by him through every milestone. Before moving to Taiwan, Peters was not a top-performing student, but he refused to let language barriers or his background become an excuse, working steadily to earn strong marks through every Mandarin-taught course.
Today, as one of the few Black professionals at TSMC, Peters frequently fields questions from curious colleagues about his home country – opportunities he embraces to share Caribbean culture and raise awareness of SVG. Despite building a life and career in Taiwan, he has never lost sight of his goal to give back to the nation he still calls home. He has already begun this work: during a recent visit to SVG, he spoke to students at his alma mater, the SVG Community College’s Technical and Vocational Division, and donated equipment to support both students and lecturers. His long-term plan is to gain enough expertise and experience in the global semiconductor industry to make a meaningful, lasting contribution to SVG’s development when he eventually returns.
Adjusting to life in Taiwan came with steep challenges, Peters acknowledges. The language barrier creates hurdles in everyday interactions, from opening a bank account to navigating government bureaucracy, and cultural adaptation took time. But today, he speaks highly of his adopted home, calling it “one of the safest, most convenient places I’ve lived thus far,” praising its affordable, high-quality healthcare, reliable public transit, and generally welcoming attitude toward foreigners. “The turning point for me was committing to Mandarin seriously. Once you can operate in Chinese, a completely different Taiwan opens to you, professionally and personally,” he says. “My wife and I have built our life here now. And after all these years, I can say this is a country that rewards people who invest in it.”
For Caribbean students considering pursuing higher education in Taiwan through the MOFA scholarship program, Peters offers clear, experience-backed advice. He notes that Taiwan provides a uniquely accessible path to a world-class education in high-demand fields like engineering and technology, with tuition and living costs that make it far more financially viable than many Western study destinations. He encourages prospective students to research industry opportunities in their field early, build relevant skills before job hunting, and prioritize Mandarin study from day one – calling language proficiency the single biggest factor in turning a study abroad term into a long-term, rewarding career. He also advises students to prepare mentally for the great distance from home, build local community early, and know that long-term residency and professional success are achievable outcomes for hardworking students.
“I came here as a student, and I’m still here by choice, all these years later,” Peters says. “Everything I am doing now is a stepping stone towards achieving my full potential. I will always be Vincentian, no matter where I am.”
This report was produced by Kemarlie Durrant, a Vincentian mass communication and journalism student at Taiwan’s Ming Chuan University, as part of a graduation internship in collaboration with the Embassy of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to Taiwan. Durrant is on track to complete his bachelor’s degree in June 2027.