Keisha Bharath knows the past holds lessons.
That’s why she’s using her Fulbright award to study sustainable Urban Design and Planning, and give back to her home of Trinidad and Tobago.
In Keisha Bharath’s home there is an ornate ceiling fragment on display, over a century old. A keepsake which once belonged to one of the most storied buildings in Trinidad and Tobago: the Red House.
She says it’s the most valuable thing she owns. Even now, as she’s 4,300 miles away from home, this piece of the past, coupled with her lived experience, reminds her of the importance of preservation, history, national pride and the invaluable role planning plays in the future of a country.
Bharath’s love of urban planning, research, and Trinidad and Tobago, has driven her to pursue a Ph.D. in Urban Design & Planning at UW, where she was awarded a Fulbright to study. She plans to research how to improve sustainable development for her own country and other Small Island Developing States.