Che Richards is well on course to becoming a practising lawyer. The 24-year-old athlete has graduated with an LLB Hons degree from the University of Edinburgh, in Scotland.

“It’s been an amazing four years in Scotland,” Richards told the Express, “and graduating with an honours degree is a great culmination to the journey that was my undergraduate LLB. One of the best things about doing an LLB Hons degree is the opportunity to study the law in more depth and choose the courses that you enjoy.”

Richards did his 10,000-word dissertation on public authorities’ liability.

“A fitting topic given the current climate back home and around the world. I argued for more accountability in relation to police officers and domestic violence victims. A duty of care should be imposed on the police when given credible information about a threat to someone’s life/safety. I got an ‘A’ in that research project which I was excited about because I enjoyed the topic.

“Speaking on the current happenings of the world, what we see now is that a police officer who kills a citizen is not met with the same sanctions as a regular citizen. The status of the police, not just in Trinidad and Tobago but here in the United Kingdom, the United States and around the world has seemingly created this artificial immunity; or that’s just what is seen by many.”

Outside the classroom, Richards represented his school with distinction in the long jump.

“I won’t say I’m satisfied with where my track and field career is after the Edinburgh experience, but I’m certainly happy with the improvements I’ve had while here. I left Trinidad jumping 7.53 metres, and I’m returning with a 7.80 personal best. Unfortunately, I’ve struggled with injuries over the years, and that has hindered me from crossing that eight-metre barrier.

“A high point will have to be returning home after my first year and jumping the 7.80. It reinforced for me that I adjusted well to my new environment and coaches. It also allowed me to show others that it’s possible to not have the US collegiate experience and still do well.

“In addition,” Richards continued, “just competing at indoors for the first time, winning points for the University of Edinburgh at British University and Colleges Sports (BUCS), being a member of the amazing performance sports programme and being awarded Athlete of the Year in my final year there were high points.”

For the Open National Scholarship recipient, however, there is also a negative takeaway from his time in Scotland.

“The Ministry of Education’s Scholarship Advanced Training Division (SATD) has to improve their level of communication with scholars abroad. While being awarded the scholarship helped me immensely, the usual late payment of allowances, lack of rapport between the SATD and the scholars definitely undermined my experience.

“Payments were sometimes three or four months late,” Richards explained. “Unfortunately, the first payment always coincided with the Ministry of Finance budget reveal, which for some reason means this particular quarterly payment was never released in September but in November or December. Every year, me and many other scholars found ourselves in the same precarious situation.”

Richards said the Ministry of Education needs to revamp the system.

“It might be working on the surface, but there are many shortcomings which scholars must endure. Even now, with the global Covid-19 pandemic resulting in Trinidad and Tobago’s borders being closed, I have not received any official correspondence from the SATD checking in on those scholars still abroad or updating us on what/how they and the government are looking after our welfare.”

The St Mary’s College old boy said that scholar support officers have come up short in the area of communication.

“I know I share the sentiments of many scholars who are still abroad when I say that the SATD needs to play a more proactive role in looking after the interests of scholars in general, and even more so during this pandemic. More pastoral care and effective communication about developments made to help our situation or any talks they’ve had with the government is a good place to start.

“With regard returning home, I’m hoping the government looks at the UK and grants exemptions to students here. Only then will I be able to return. Everyone waiting are just in a state of limbo now. I saw recently that students from India were granted exemptions, but I’m yet to hear about repatriation for UK students, and by extension nationals in the UK.”

The SATD challenge notwithstanding, Richards will leave Scotland with a deep sense of satisfaction.

“It never hurts to take the road less travelled. I think I did just that by moving to Scotland to study and train. The open scholarship offered me that opportunity, and at first I was hesitant because I had my eyes set on the US just like most athletes back home. I was blessed with the opportunity to choose and I’m happy I chose to take it.”

Richards has proven to be a man of great faith.

“‘When things don’t go your way, PRAY, don’t stress’. I wrote that down in my first year and I’ve lived the last four years of my life by it. I’ve been injured so many times; missed out on competitions; for my first law essay I got 8 out of 20–still passed the course in the end. But I told myself that things will get better, and they always did.

“I don’t see it as living by a false sense of positivity, but a strong conviction that I know I will get through whatever I’m going through,” Richards ended, “as God has led me through so much to get to where I am.”