Shayron Tower (born 26 June 1998, on Corn Island) is an intercultural communicator, radio host, and photographer from the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua.
Throughout his life, Shayron has demonstrated a profound dedication to community service and promoting the cultural richness of Nicaragua's Caribbean region. His efforts have significantly contributed to youth empowerment, driving positive social change, and fostering environmental awareness.
Since the age of 11, he has been actively involved in numerous community and social organisations, taking on leadership roles and participating in volunteer initiatives. These activities have ranged from organising clean-up campaigns in swamps and on beaches to providing workshops for young people on topics such as sexual and reproductive health, life skills, and environmental conservation.
In June 2009, he joined the Caribbean Coast Association Against AIDS as a Life Skills Promoter. That same year, he gained recognition by winning the Corn Island Flag Contest, representing the Rigoberto Cabezas Primary School.
Between 2010 and 2014, he studied music at Corn Island’s Culture House. During that time, he played the piano in the Island Stars musical band, entertaining audiences with a wide variety of Caribbean genres, including reggae, soca, and calypso, and performing in locations such as Great Corn Island, Little Corn Island, Bluefields, and León.
In 2010, he joined the Corn Island Municipal House for Adolescents and Young People, becoming Coordinator for the Communication and Art Network. The following year, in 2011, he started his secondary education at Ebenezer Baptist School. He was elected President of the Student Government in March of the next year.
On 12 May 2012, he founded STS Initiative, a community project dedicated to partnering with organisations to support the environment, empower young people, promote education, and conserve the cultures of indigenous and Afro-descendant communities.
In July 2013, he became a member of the Murales RAAS Art Movement and served as Coordinator for its regional board from September 2013 to December 2014. He also served as the first local Coordinator of Murales RAAS in Corn Island from July 2013 to December 2015, coordinating the first artistic projects on Great Corn Island.
In August 2013, he co-founded the Corn Island Municipal Council of Adolescents and Young People (CoMAJ Corn Island) and served as President of its board from March 2014 until December 2015. Through CoMAJ Corn Island, he launched Juventud al Aire, Corn Island's first television programme, in February 2015.
His journey into radio broadcasting began in December 2013 when he started working with La Isleña radio station. In January of the following year, he introduced the Corn Island People Hour cultural programme, which aired every Saturday until January 2016. From February 2017 to August 2023, he co-hosted The Voice of the Caribbean, a national radio programme broadcast from Managua.
He began his undergraduate studies in Social Communication at the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (UNAN León) in February 2016. From September 2017 to April 2021, he served as Student Representative for the Southern Caribbean Region at UNAN León, promoting activities that showcased the diverse cultures of Caribbean Nicaragua. In this role, he also advocated for the inclusion of indigenous and Afro-descendant students in various university spaces.
In 2017, he led the first live broadcast of the Corn Islands Emancipation Day celebration on Facebook. This initiative gained momentum in 2020 and 2021 with the first cultural programme aired on national television commemorating the emancipation of slaves on the islands as a preventive measure against COVID-19.
In 2019, he began studying at the University of Hradec Králové in the Czech Republic, receiving training in the social sciences. During his time there, he also studied the Czech language and engaged in various volunteer activities at secondary schools in Hradec Králové.
With his photographic project "The Creoles of the Nicaribbean," he achieved recognition as one of the seven winners of the national competition ExpoPhoto Nicaragua in October 2020. His work captured the unique characteristics of both adult and young Afro-descendant Creole people from Corn Island and Pearl Lagoon. The project's primary goal was to dispel prevalent stereotypes associated with this ethnic group and promote a powerful anti-racism message.
Through STS Initiative, he founded The Corn Islands Virtual Library in August 2021, with its official launch in May 2023. This community project serves as a repository for historical archives from Great Corn Island and Little Corn Island, aiming to support academic endeavours and preserve the ancestral knowledge of the islands.
In June 2023, Shayron was awarded the Chevening Scholarship by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office of the British Government to pursue a master's degree in International Relations at the University of Sussex. He relocated to the United Kingdom in September of the same year to commence his studies.
Shayron is committed to the development of his country, with a particular focus on the multi-ethnic society of the Caribbean coast. He intends to continue contributing to intercultural education, youth empowerment, cultural preservation, environmental protection, and promoting art as a means of social development.
To learn more about Shayron's professional trajectory, check out his resume by clicking here.