Editor’s Note: As we celebrate African Heritage Month in February, we’re proud to spotlight some of our own people, Black culture, contributions and history.
Here we meet Shirley Prescott, a second year biology student from Trinidad and Tobago, who is interested in pursuing a career in health care. In less than two years at StFX, Ms. Prescott has already had meaningful impact. She recently brought forward the idea behind Fade X Flow Studio, a biweekly hair service offered this semester that’s tailored especially for people with Black hair. She serves as co-president of the BLACC Student Society and on the Students’ Union as constituency director for Students of African Descent. Ms. Prescott is currently working as a teaching assistant and this summer she will work with X-Oceans. Ms. Prescott says her philosophy is simple: if you want to have a village, you have to be a villager. “That’s why I’m putting myself out there.”
“We are stronger together” – Meet Shirley Prescott
In only her second year at StFX, Shirley Prescott, a biology student from Trinidad and Tobago, is already shaping campus life in meaningful ways.
Ms. Prescott arrived at StFX drawn to the idea of a small university town, somewhere with smaller classes, and an education that felt personal. Alongside her biology major, she’s minoring in chemistry, and enjoying the energy of faculty who she says clearly love what they teach. Her admiration for educators runs deep. She’s named after her grandmother Shirley, who spent more than five decades as a teacher.
Ms. Prescott, who currently works as a biology teaching assistant, says looking ahead she’d like to pursue graduate school, with interests in medicine or dentistry. She hopes to build a career in health care, drawn to both the hands-on nature of science and the chance to help and advocate for others.
This summer, she’ll be taking a step toward that future through an internship with StFX’s X-Oceans Outreach, which provides hands-on activities and workshops to promote ocean sciences, preservation and marine biodiversity to rural communities, schools, summer camps and youth organizations across Nova Scotia. “It’s actually related to my field of study,” she says, excited to apply her science background in a real-world setting.
Beyond the classroom, her impact is being felt as she serves as the co-president of the BLACC Student Society and serves on the Students’ Union as the constituency director for Students of African descent. Through these roles, she’s helped create spaces where Black students can feel at home. For instance, the BLACC Student Society recently hosted Caribana at The Inn, bringing Caribbean music and culture to campus and giving students from this region a taste of home.
One of Ms. Prescott’s proudest initiatives is Fade X Flow Studio, which launched this month. The idea grew from a simple but significant gap in availability of hair services tailored specifically for Black people. While the Black Student Advising Office hosts pop-up barber shops once a semester, students wanted more frequent access to hair services.
“Appearance is a big part of the way you approach life,” says Ms. Prescott, who notes that it’s not just in the classroom that support is so important.
She approached the Students’ Union with the idea. They saw the need and offered support. The former Convenience U space that’s now vacant in Bloomfield Centre has been transformed into studio space and they’re bringing in professionals from Halifax on a biweekly basis for the remainder of this semester. Ms. Prescott hopes in time that this initiative will become permanent, eventually integrating into the BLACC Student Society.
“It’s very exciting,” she says. “I’m just happy the Students’ Union saw the need for the project the way I saw the need. This way, our students are being seen.”
Getting involved came from a simple philosophy: “If you want to have a village, you have to be willing to be a villager,” she says.
Ms. Prescott notes that coming from a Caribbean country, this was the first time in her life she found herself part of a minority group. She felt inclined to pull everybody closer. At first, she was shy, she admits. But as she began attending meetings and getting involved, she realized that students have power on campus. That realization helped empower her to bring forward her idea for Fade X Flow.
During her first year, Ms. Prescott says she found a safe space at the Dr. Agnes Calliste Academic and Cultural Centre. There, she built meaningful relationships with staff members like Black Student Advisor Akua Amankwah-Poku and centre manager Lorraine Reddick. This year she became involved with the African Heritage Month committee.
African Heritage Month, she says, is important both for highlighting how people are making a difference and for inspiring others. It also shows that StFX is a place that welcomes diverse voices.
That’s important, she notes. Feeling welcome helps students to prosper.
“We are stronger together,” she says. “If you want a village, you have to be a villager. That’s why I’m putting myself out there.”
