91滴滴

For most grad students, a master鈥檚 degree is a pretty linear march through academic milestones. But for Maya Hinds, a part-time Master of Digital Media (MDM) student and full-time Department Administrator at 91滴滴 (91滴滴), her journey has been a series of profound, full-circle moments that feel completely like kismet. Today, she鈥檚 sitting at the fascinating intersection of digital cultural preservation and cutting-edge tech, using generative AI  to breathe new life into the traditional roots of Caribbean Carnival.

Maya recently packed her bags for a unique research trip to Trinidad and Tobago collaborating closely with her thesis supervisor to connect directly with local researchers. Born and raised in Trinidad, she admits she actually wasn鈥檛 deeply involved in Carnival growing up, only truly participating in the modern-day celebrations as an adult. Going back home specifically as an academic researcher completely flipped the script, allowing her to capture traditional cultural moments that even her mom had never seen in person.

While on the island, Maya collaborated with leading cultural experts at the University of the West Indies (UWI), and presenting her work right at the physical roots of Carnival sparked an immediate, incredibly validating exchange of ideas. 

"AI and Carnival is something they are actively thinking about in Trinidad as well," Maya shares. "It was incredibly validating to see that linkage and realize this is a collective conversation, not just an isolated project."

The trip strongly reinforced her focus on using modern tools to keep fading traditions alive. Hearing that UWI students were independently working on the exact same wavelength,, researching and testing how AI can intersect with their own Carnival studies-focused work confirmed that her research was answering a vital cultural call. With traditional "Mas" (masquerade) slowly losing focus to highly commercialized, modern iterations, finding innovative ways to make history cool and engaging for a younger audience has become her core mission.

Maya鈥檚 Major Research Project (MRP) explores how AI can play a hands-on educational role within community digital media and immersive exhibition spaces. While she considers herself creative, she states she is not a traditional artist who can draw or translate her vision onto 鈥減aper鈥�. AI and digital media have essentially become her artistic vehicle, allowing her to manifest the complex ideas constantly running through her head.

The inspiration behind this came from a glaring gap in cultural awareness. While the Toronto Caribbean Carnival stands as the largest North American diasporic Carnival in the world, many participants wear the costumes without understanding the rich history behind them.

But working with emerging tech isn't as simple as clicking a button. Because her research is so niche, standard data sets don't know the culture, requiring intensive labor. Maya recalls spending three full days in the Creative AI Hub just to stitch together a 60-second teaser video for her industry partner. 

"It feels like an act of resistance: taking my culture into these heavily North American-generated data sets and forcing them to output something niche and culturally rooted."

All of this hard work proves to Maya that we can鈥檛 just leave culture up to machines, human experts are absolutely essential. Without real people actively guiding and correcting the technology, AI will just repeat the mainstream stories it already knows, which completely wipes out the unique history of smaller cultures.

Maya's path to this specific research topic was a happy accident. Balancing a demanding full-time career, she originally entered the MDM program on a coursework-only track to expand her skillset while keeping her workload manageable. Her entire trajectory changed on a random afternoon when she opened an industry partnership document and spotted a project titled AI and Carnival, focusing on Trinidad traditional carnival characters. 

"I sat there in complete shock," Maya recalls. "It felt like they had read my portfolio and built the project just for me. I called my mom and said, 'I have to do this.'"

In a surreal twist of fate, the industry partner turned out to be the Toronto Revellers, a prominent Carnival band where Maya had actively worked with an individual section for the previous two years. With all the pieces falling into place so perfectly, she officially pivoted to the thesis stream to give the project the dedicated academic space it deserved.

Navigating the 91滴滴 campus for Maya is a total masterclass in coordination. By day, she serves as a full-time Department Administrator; by night, she seamlessly transitions into the role of a graduate researcher. This formal research builds naturally upon her earlier creative roots as a self-taught blogger behind 868 in the 416, where she documented the newcomer experience. While her undergraduate degree in International Relations was research-heavy, it lacked a creative outlet, a gap the MDM program has perfectly bridged.

Managing both roles requires strict boundaries and clear communication, even if it means her sleep schedule is a total mess right now. Yet, stepping into the classroom at the end of a long workday provides an unexpected form of rejuvenation.

"Because I genuinely want to be here, coming to class doesn't feel like an extra chore or a draining add-on to my 9-to-5 day," she says. "Walking over to the SLC or RCC at the end of the day to sit in a room full of like-minded people is the best kind of brain bump."

To keep her creative soul energized, Maya emphasizes the importance of internal motivation. She checks in with herself daily, ensuring she is carving out time for her own personal growth. After nearly nine years in Canada wondering if leaving Trinidad was the right choice, the fulfillment of the last few months has finally given her a definitive answer.

As she continues her part-time studies, Maya has big plans. Her ultimate dream is to develop a comprehensive Caribbean education curriculum and digital software that can be introduced to classrooms across Ontario. By creating interactive, screen-based media, she hopes to teach the upcoming generation about the distinct cultural nuances that define the various islands, reminding people that the region isn't a monolith.

Reflecting on her MDM journey so far, Maya describes the experience in three words: Grounding. Energizing. Surprising.

"Life just keeps handing me unexpected elements, and as my research pivots, it somehow keeps working out perfectly," she smiles. "I am completely enjoying the ride."

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