When I first arrived at the College of Charleston 11 years ago, it was with a pair of clear goals in mind.

First, to take my soccer pathway as far as it could go.

Second, to make sure that whatever happened, I would have a successful future through my college degree.

Little did I know more than a decade later, I’d still be thriving here in Charleston, loving life with the Charleston Battery and the great people that make up this city.

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Growing up in Trinidad, I wasn’t always chasing the big money to be a professional player.

Even as a youth national team player for the Soca Warriors, it didn’t make sense to put all my eggs in one basket. Sure, I wanted it as an option in case I wanted to take that route, but the chance to combine that with school gave me opportunities in both and something to fall back on.

When the Trinidad and Tobago Federation’s Technical Director connected me with the College of Charleston’s legendary coach Ralph Lundy, everything clicked. Our U-17 National Team had a tournament, and he came to watch, and from there he knew I wanted the path of going to college. The rest is history.

Even my transition from Trinidad to Charleston was an easy one. I was close to palm trees, the weather was similar – except in the winter, obviously, but I wasn't usually there then. As I grew on the field with the Cougars, I got to work in the classroom.

Initially, I wanted to major in math. I was really good with numbers, I was good at math, but I didn’t really know what pathway I wanted career-wise. So, as my coursework progressed, I decided to take a new direction with a business focus and majored in International Business, with a minor in International Studies.

But by the time my playing career with the Cougars came to an end, a new door was opening. I had played against the Battery in preseason scrimmages for C of C, and even had some short training stints, but nothing too significant. Early in 2018, I joined the club for preseason and was doing well.

At the same time, I wanted to make sure before I turned pro, I had completed my degree. To his credit, the Battery’s Head Coach at the time, Mike Anhaeuser, was great about it. He let me finish up my studies. I got my degree, walked in the graduation ceremony with my dad in attendance, and then signed with the Battery.

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Eight seasons later, my experience with the Battery has been very enjoyable. What’s been most interesting is I feel like I’ve been through multiple stages in Charleston – it’s not felt like the same team the whole time, there have been changes around me and that’s given it a different feeling as the years have gone by.

The biggest change, of course, was going from the down year we had in 2022 to winning the USL Championship’s Eastern Conference the following year. The 2022 season definitely shifted my view on a lot of things in terms of what I had to do. I was determined to not let the last season take over my career, which a lot of people probably saw as a negative.

I worked to stay positive and stay focused and not let that one bad season sway my opinion and my thoughts of how I am and who I am as a player.

Having Ben Pirmann come in as the Battery’s Head Coach in 2023 also helped greatly. I think I owe him a lot. He’s put a lot of trust in me, and what he’s brought to Charleston in his ideologies and his way of coaching, he’s been pivotal in my growth. I think it’s clear I’ve continued to become a better player each year.

As a player, that’s what you’re looking for – the ability to learn and improve. That’s also the mindset I’ve carried with me educationally as well, which is why in the past year I took the opportunity to get a master’s degree in Supply Chain Management through Bellevue University.

The inspiration behind it came from my dad and one of his friends – the way they talked about it interested me, dealing with all the logistics involved in a supply chain. It intrigued me, and it was offered in Bellevue University’s online courses, so I jumped on it.

Luckily, it didn’t take too long to get back into the swing of things in an online classroom. I was a little rusty in terms of time management, but I got used to balancing coursework and being at my best for the Battery. It was good, a little different because our season is year-round as opposed to three months in college, but it kept me engaged and not just home doing nothing.

What’s really great, honestly, is the way Bellevue University sets up the classroom, which takes away a lot of the pressure. Obviously, people get intimidated a lot by college and having to speak up in class. With Bellevue University, it’s set up in a way to avoid being intimidating for students. It’s more helpful, and a lot of my schoolmates are as well. Inside the classes some are in their 50s, some in their 40s, and they come with this massive experience that you might not have. That's beneficial to me, and I’ve learned a lot from those classes as I prepare for what my post-playing career might look like.

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Of course, I still have a lot to accomplish with the Battery.

I want to win more trophies, and hopefully we can win one this year.

More than that, I just want to keep pushing, and whatever is meant to be, you'll be. Whether that's trophies or not, I’d prefer the former, but if not, it also means helping the younger generation and help guide them to be a better player, as well as continuing to improve myself.

One thing I’d love to achieve next year would be to reach 200 appearances for the club. For me, it would be a massive achievement, and while I might not really think about it too much until one day when I'm done playing, I'll realize how crazy that was.

If I get there, it would put me alongside one of the players I admire a lot in Taylor Mueller. He was captain at the time I joined the club, a guy I looked up to. It’s definitely kind of crazy thinking about it now, and I don't think I’m side by side with him yet, but it's a good thing to be close to his record.

On top of that, I’m definitely honored to be able to represent my team with so much history in this league and in soccer in the United States. When I’m out in Charleston, I feel that from the fans as well, somebody will come up and talk to me about the Battery, or talk to me about soccer.

When I do decide to hang up my boots, what I hope most is that I’ve represented them in a good way. I feel very proud to represent them. When we travel, I feel like you represent them, and want to represent the city well.

I hope I’m remembered for a good person, honestly, regardless of what I did on the field or what I brought to the city. I hope kids or even adults can look at me and say, “you know, he was a good guy. He always came up and spoke to us, never did anything wrong to anyone.”

After more than a decade in Charleston, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.