TSC student body president, Trinidad native graduates after 'big change,' leadership roles
Born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago, Tallahassee State College graduate Destinee Britto struggled to find where she would fit in during her accelerated academic journey after moving to the capital city.
But what started as the decision to grasp the opportunity of serving as class president in high school led to her drive to secure the student body president role at TSC, which – as of May 1 – she calls her alma mater.
'It was a big change coming from Trinidad, but it opened up so many new opportunities,' 18-year-old Britto told the Tallahassee Democrat. 'At first, it was overwhelming adjusting to a new school system and culture, but I quickly found ways to get involved and make my voice heard, especially through student leadership and service.'
TSC's 2024 graduation: TSC fall commencement to mark the college's first graduating class since its renaming
Britto, who served as TSC's Student Government Association president this past year, recently crossed the stage as part of the college's spring 2025 graduating class during the Thursday commencement ceremony at the Tucker Civic Center. The next stop on her journey is Florida State University, where she plans to double major in sports management and political science.
But the road to Britto's latest achievement of graduating was not an easy one. While she says life in the beautiful Trinidad and Tobago – a dual-island country in the Caribbean – allowed her to be 'surrounded by a vibrant culture, close-knit community and strong family ties,' she faced challenges such as starting high school at 11 years old in the home country.
'I was navigating a lot at a young age," Britto said. "Still, I'm grateful for those early years because they gave me a strong foundation in resilience and drive."
When Britto's family moved to Tallahassee in 2021, she took that resilience and drive with her when she attended Rickards High School and served as class president before graduating in 2023 and enrolling at TSC.
'Being 16, I knew that I needed a place that would be able to help me grow, a place that was affordable and a place where I'd be close to my family,' Britto said. 'I got all three by being at TSC.'
Through Britto's role as student body president, she says she created more opportunities for incoming students to get involved by establishing several committees through SGA and creating a couple freshmen-only positions after hearing concerns from students who wanted to get more engaged.
'To me, being SGA president really just means it was in my court to hear student voices,' Britto said. 'It isn't just about having that title or being able to throw an event, it's about doing what's best for the students.'
Besides SGA, Britto was involved with campus organizations such as TSC's Black Student Union and International Student Organization as well as FSU's Caribbean Student Association, where she served as one of its public relations chairs through the ASPIRE TSC2FSU transfer program.
In addition, Britto is one of eight students in the country to have been selected in February as a 2025 DREAM Scholar, where the program offers students an opportunity to develop leadership, critical thinking and networking skills.
While Britto's time at TSC consisted of several achievements and accomplishments, she says her support system – which includes TSC's Student Life Manager Deidra Green, who is also the college's SGA advisor – played a significant role in her success.
'I'm just extremely proud to have witnessed her reach her goal of not only being the SGA president, but being the first one of Tallahassee State College and doing such an amazing job to begin a legacy with our name change," Green said. "A lot of her peers obviously look up to her, but just seeing the culmination of all her hard work over the past two years has been amazing to witness."
As Britto gears up to attend FSU, her career goal is to become a sports lawyer with a focus on immigration law.
"It's very sad to be leaving TSC because I know the opportunities that it has opened for me, but I know it has also opened doors for me at Florida State,' Britto said. 'I'm very excited and look forward to seeing what I'm going to do over at FSU with the confidence that I have gained here.'
Tarah Jean is a reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. She can be reached at tjean@tallahassee.com. Follow her on X: @tarahjean_.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: TSC SGA president, Trinidad native graduates after challenging journey
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