Kishma Alexander

When Kishma was 10 years old, she had serious doubts that she would ever be able to achieve her dream of getting a college education. A native of Dominica, an island in the Caribbean, Kishma had sustained scarred corneas due to severe eye allergies, and needed to have two corrective surgeries on each eye.

“I never wanted to use my disability as an excuse.”

While she feels very fortunate for having received funding from Rotary that allowed her to come to Syracuse in 2005 and 2007 for her surgeries, she never wanted to use this early misfortune as an excuse. Instead it has inspired her to work harder towards her goal of earning a college degree.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in ecological studies from University of Buffalo, and she is currently the science director at Camp Fiver in Poolville, NY, where she designs science classes and activities for campers, ages 7-14, who are low-income students primarily from New York City.

Kishma is grateful to On Point for helping her financially, helping her find living arrangements, and for moral support. Armed with her degree, she hopes to return home and help make environmental contributions to her country of Dominica.