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This Week We Feature Young Professional Yadali Thomas-Santos

At the tender age of 19 years old, our Young Professional for this week Yadali Thomas-Santos is on a clear mission: to become an architect and design buildings here in the Virgin Islands for which she can be proud. Photo: Provided
The final year student of the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College and first runner up in the Miss World BVI pageant is much more than a pretty face. She also has steely determination to achieve her goals as demonstrated when she had to quickly learn English in the Virgin Islands to adapt to the change of growing up in a Spanish-speaking country. Photo: Provided
The final year student of the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College and first runner up in the Miss World BVI pageant is much more than a pretty face. She also has steely determination to achieve her goals as demonstrated when she had to quickly learn English in the Virgin Islands to adapt to the change of growing up in a Spanish-speaking country. Photo: Provided
From her early days she knew she loved to draw, a skill that would later prove essential for her chosen career path. Photo: Provided
From her early days she knew she loved to draw, a skill that would later prove essential for her chosen career path. Photo: Provided
During the swimsuit segment of the Miss World BVI pageant. Photo: VINO/File
During the swimsuit segment of the Miss World BVI pageant. Photo: VINO/File
"To come here and be part of the first (in years) Miss World BVI and to be First Runner Up is huge privilege to me and a privilege to my family and even back in the Dominican Republic it is a privilege to us,” she said. Photo: VINO/File
Our Young Professional playing the flute for her talent segment performance during Miss World BVI. Photo: VINO/File
Our Young Professional playing the flute for her talent segment performance during Miss World BVI. Photo: VINO/File
By N. Johann Earle

At the tender age of 19, our Young Professional for this week Yadali Thomas-Santos is on a clear mission: to become an architect and design buildings here in the Virgin Islands for which she can be proud.

The final year student of the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC) and first runner up in the Miss World BVI pageant is much more than a pretty face. She also has steely determination to achieve her goals as demonstrated when she had to quickly learn English in the Virgin Islands to adapt to the change of growing up in a Spanish-speaking country.

“I was born in the Dominican Republic and I am a mixture of Tortolian and Dominican Republic parents,” she told Virgin Islands News Online.

“I was raised there (Dominican Republic) up to the age of ten where I went to primary school and then I had to transition from there to here where I started at the Althea Scatliffe Primary School in class four which is grade five. And there I had to adapt to the system as it was sort of different, acknowledging that I had to learn English and it was pretty hard the first term but then I started to adapt and I learned pretty fast,” she said.

“I kept saying that, for someone who had to adapt to the language and the custom, I did a pretty good job because when I graduated from Althea Scatliffe Primary School I actually came top five out of about 81 students and to this day I am very proud of that,” she said.

Following her days at the Althea Scatliffe Primary School, our Young Professional moved on to the Elmore Stoutt High School where each year she managed to stay on the honour roll.

“At the high school here I started to think about what I wanted to do in the future because as you know you have to choose the programme that you want to do in Fourth and Fifth Form and really I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” she admitted.

A passion for drawing

Thomas-Santos graduated from high school in 2014 after writing seven subjects at the CXC level. She then moved on to the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC) where she is now enrolled in the engineering and architectural programme. “I am seeing much clearer how I’m going to get to be an architect in the future.”

However, from her early days she knew she loved to draw, a skill that would later prove essential for her chosen career path.

“What I always had was a passion for drawing and I can draw and I can take my pencils and make up stuff and I do it very well,” she said. “That’s when architecture came to mind because I knew I could draw but I didn’t want to take the art programme,” Thomas-Santos said.

“That’s where architecture came in because I started to see technical drawing as this technical skill and I got interested in how buildings were made and how amazing it would be if I could be able to draw and put my drawing skills into making buildings in my future career. So that’s where I tied in architecture to my skills of drawing.”

Intends to intern to gain experience

Thomas-Santos said that if she does not go off to university upon completing her programme at HLSCC she hopes to intern with an architectural company in the VI to gain relevant experience.

Asked why she is keen on making a career out of architecture, Thomas-Santos said that around the time that she was in third form she started asking herself what kind of house she would have in the future and who would be building it. “I thought it was a very complex process. I also thought that if I was going to build my house I won’t want anything to be wrong with it. That’s why I started to have an interest in architecture because I want to be involved in all that goes on pertaining to my future belongings,” she said.

She said that the more she learned and searched she realised that it is a very beautiful and complex profession “and that’s my goal and I would be very good at it once I keep my mind on it.”

Looking around the territory, she said that she sees many buildings that have been designed by local architectural companies and these inspire her.

“Because I am multicultural and open-minded to different cultures I believe I can bring my style once I know my craft. I could incorporate maybe perhaps Spanish styles into what I do in the future once I learn it and do as much research as possible to make things happen,” said Thomas-Santos.

Miss World BVI Runner Up

Thomas-Santos was judged the First Runner Up in the recently staged Miss World BVI, during which Sasha O. E. Wintz was crowned queen.

“It was definitely a new experience for me…very special as well considering that it is technically a new show for the BVI in so many years,” she said, noting that the last time the territory had a Miss World pageant she probably did not even know of the VI as she was a small child who at the time lived in the Dominican Republic.

“So to come here and be part of the first (in years) Miss World BVI and to be First Runner Up is huge privilege to me and a privilege to my family and even back in the Dominican Republic it is a privilege to us,” she said.

Our Young Professional is of the view that the four contestants of the pageant did a wonderful job on their various platforms, hers being youth delinquency and crime.

“We understood that what Miss World really stands for is a good cause which is finding a purpose and each one of us had a different platform, different in every aspect. Basically we spread awareness to the community about each of our topics and that in itself is like a big accomplishment for each of us,” said Thomas-Santos.

For the pageant's talent segment, she played the flute. "I learned to play the flute while in high school. Although I am still learning, I've used it to express my musical ability in the talent segments of both pageants I participated in (Miss World BVI 2015 and Miss Fifth Form 2014)." 

Advice to young people

“My advice to young people is don’t be afraid to do anything that you want as long as it is positive and as long as you can find self-growth out of it and as long as the society is comfortable with it,” said our Young Professional.

13 Responses to “This Week We Feature Young Professional Yadali Thomas-Santos”

  • ABC (23/10/2015, 08:23) Like (8) Dislike (0) Reply
    Sweet girl
  • Asi Mismo! (23/10/2015, 08:38) Like (12) Dislike (0) Reply
    You go girl! I have known this girl from ever since she arrived here to the BVI and her eagerness to learn has gone far beyond my expectations. She has such a kind heart. All the best Yadali.
    Delight thyself in the Lord and he shall give you the desires of thine heart!
  • snagglepuss (23/10/2015, 09:23) Like (10) Dislike (0) Reply
    heaven must be missing an angel
  • Tan linda,Tan amistosa (23/10/2015, 10:22) Like (17) Dislike (11) Reply
    She is so natural and beautiful perhaps she would have made a better representative for the Miss World pageant and I am certain she dont mind the critics. Continue to be you girl
    • the rock (23/10/2015, 20:18) Like (1) Dislike (4) Reply
      stop being so damn negative, tell the young lady congrats and move on the young lady who won is doing a wonderful job!
  • Awesome! (23/10/2015, 11:34) Like (6) Dislike (1) Reply
    She is such a beautiful girl inside and out! Good luck Yadali!
  • rattie (23/10/2015, 11:45) Like (10) Dislike (1) Reply
    what a pretty girl she should have won
  • Santa cruz (23/10/2015, 16:44) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Arriba mid gentes!
  • blood relatives (23/10/2015, 18:00) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    Love what you're doing coz
  • registered architect (24/10/2015, 16:57) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    Yadali,

    Here is where you find accredited architecture schools in the US. If you are going to a US school and it's not on this list don't do it, it would be a waste of your time as they won't teach you what you need to know.

    www.naab.org/r/schools/search.aspx
    • Thankful (25/10/2015, 09:26) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Thank you. Is there any way to contact you? I can be reached through Facebook.
  • Big Supporter (25/10/2015, 09:24) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    Just wanted to say how proud I am of this young lady Ms Yadali Santos. She is an inspiration to all and in fact should have been crowned Ms. World BVI. Keep your head up and congrats on making VINO


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