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 Kyrae Carvery, a third year Bachelor of Arts and Science in Health student from Halifax, NS who is working towards her longtime goal of becoming a dentist. At StFX, she is a research assistant with Dr. Jill Murphy, contributing to work on improving mental health services in rural communities. She plans to pursue an honours degree, with her thesis focused on examining the mental health experiences of Black teens in rural versus urban settings. Beyond the classroom, she is engaged in service and leadership as a certified First Responder with the X-Medical Response Team, a mentor in the Black Peer Mentorship program, and captain of the StFX Cheer Team. Not only does she want to make an impact and difference in the health field, Ms. Carvery says it is important to her to provide representation and support to those walking a similar journey as her.
Making an impact in health care and community: Meet Kyrae Carvery
Kyrae Carvery has long known where she wants her future to lead.
Since she was in junior high, the third-year Bachelor of Arts and Science in Health student from Halifax, NS, says her goal has been to go into dentistry.
“I don’t know where it sparked from,” she admits. But the goal has always been clear. She wants to become a dentist, drawn to the fact that it is both in the health field and hands-on.
“I’ve always been mindful of my future,” she says. “I knew I wanted to do something of the sort. And representation is important,” she notes. “I’ve never had a Black dentist. It is important for everybody.”
At StFX, Ms. Carvery says the health program has helped shaped how she views health care. Through her coursework, she has learned about diversity and inequities among different populations, as well as the importance of compassion and ethics, lessons she believes are essential for anyone entering the health field. “It’s all so important for health care.”
Alongside her studies, Ms. Carvery works as a research assistant for Dr. Jill Murphy, StFX health professor and Research Chair in Mental Health and Addictions. They are looking at developing mental health services for people in rural areas, focusing on expanding access by examining existing services, barriers to care, and what community members want and need.
“That’s been really rewarding and very interesting.”
That experience has also helped shape her educational goals. Ms. Carvery is planning to complete an honours degree, with Dr. Murphy serving as her mentor. She plans to focus her honours thesis on the mental health of Black teens in rural areas compared to inner city youth, an interest sparked by both her research experience and her own experiences.
Ms. Carvery says she has dealt with anxiety for much of her life and continues to navigate it today although she has learned to cope. “I over think everything,” she notes. While she had great experiences with child and adult therapists, she said as a young teenager she struggled to find therapists that were the right fit and resonated with her at that age.
Through her research, she hopes to increase information that may help others facing similar challenges.
Outside the classroom, Ms. Carvery stays deeply involved in campus and community life. She is part of the X-Medical Response Team, a student-run volunteer organization that provides first aid service. All participants had to become certified with First Responder training completed during the week before the academic year began. As part of X-Med, she’s on hand at venues such as the StFX Inn, athletic games, and other events, providing crowd support for any issues until paramedics arrive. The experience, she says, has been incredibly rewarding.
She is also involved in the StFX Black Peer Mentorship program under the leadership of Dr. Jonathan Hood. Through a partnership with the local high school, the group is working on how best to engage with the high school students and determine what matters most to them in a mentorship relationship.
Ms. Carvery says she enjoys reaching out and being part of the community. In her first year, she participated in X-Oceans Outreach, which provides hands-on activities to promote ocean sciences to rural communities, schools, summer camps and youth organizations across Nova Scotia. She describes it as “another opportunity for me to go to support students who look like me. It’s important for me to give back that way.”
Seeing representation is important to her, especially in her desire to support others on a similar journey.
Keeping an active schedule, Ms. Carvery is also captain of the StFX Cheer Team. Not only is it nice recognition from the team to hold this position, she says it’s also nice for her to be able to act as a support system for team members.
When choosing a university, Ms. Carvery knew she wanted to leave home but not go too far. StFX stood out to her for several reasons, including the supports available for Black students.
Her time at StFX has been rewarding. The highlight? The great relationships she has built with her professors. “I’ve always felt I could go them, to talk in class, to ask questions.”
Much of Ms. Carvery’s commitment to community was instilled in her from a young age. Her grandfather, who grew up in Africville, emphasized the importance of family, community, and giving back. He and her grandmother often brought her to community events, reinforcing the idea that success comes with a responsibility to support others on the same journey.
She also credits a Black student support worker from her school days with encouraging her involvement.
African Heritage Month holds particular significance for Ms. Carvery. She says it is a time to feel seen and heard, to reflect on accomplishments, and to acknowledge both progress and the barriers that still exist. “It’s a month to step back and see growth and how many stones you had to leap over to get here.
“Obviously, it’s gotten better, but there are still so many barriers and inequities in our society.”
Ms. Carvery points to how hard it is to be a teenager. Her own teen years were difficult, she says. She didn’t know where she fit in. “It’s a difficult time of your life. Having those additional barriers can make it more difficult.”
For Black youth, Ms. Carvery shares an important message. “Don’t let the hardships define you. Things can be difficult. There may always be barriers. You are more than capable.”
Her advice is simple: “Just don’t fall into the stereotypes pushed on you. You are so much more. You’re totally capable.”
