For promising young Saint Lucian STEM enthusiast Anaiah Bousquet, a summer spent at the Student Programme for Innovation in Science and Engineering (SPISE) has been far more than a five-week academic crash course. It has reshaped her perspective on her career, expanded her professional boundaries, and given her newfound confidence to chase ambitious goals that will benefit her home region.
A recent graduate of St Joseph’s Convent, Bousquet is one of the 2024 cohort’s two Saint Lucian SPISE participants, supported by a full scholarship from St Lucia Electricity Services Limited (LUCELEC) that will carry through to her 2026 university enrollment. This year’s intensive residential STEM initiative was hosted at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill Campus in Barbados, bringing together top young talent from across the Caribbean.
LUCELEC’s long-standing commitment to nurturing local STEM leadership has stretched more than 13 years, with the utility company awarding an annual SPISE scholarship to high-achieving Saint Lucian students seeking access to this elite regional programme. For Bousquet, the experience balanced intense academic challenge with engaging, collaborative work that opened new doors. “It was a very rigorous but entertaining experience,” she explained of the programme, which introduced her to cutting-edge concepts while connecting her to a network of like-minded young STEM lovers from every corner of the Caribbean.
Throughout the programme, university recruitment officers encouraged participants to look beyond regional higher education options and frame their academic journeys as investments in the Caribbean’s long-term development. For Bousquet, that message landed deeply. “Being around others who enjoy STEM and who come from many different backgrounds has certainly prepared me for university and further education,” she noted. “SPISE has allowed me to think bigger and to have higher aspirations.”
Bousquet emphasized that LUCELEC’s sponsorship was far more than financial support—it was a vote of confidence that made the entire experience possible. “For me, having a company such as this sponsoring me was a very big deal,” she said. “To have a company that focuses so much on youth development in our country really means a lot, and it really enhanced my belief in myself and allowed me to perform my best at SPISE.”
Beyond the impact on her own journey, Bousquet says the scholarship sends a critical message to other young Saint Lucians facing financial barriers to advanced learning. “Oftentimes, for economic reasons, people are not always able to go into all the programmes or the courses they would like, but it shows that there are companies like LUCELEC that are willing to support you throughout your journey,” she explained. That visibility makes elite STEM opportunities feel attainable for a new generation of local students.
Bousquet also argues that collaborative regional STEM programmes like SPISE are foundational to growth for both individual Caribbean nations and the bloc as a whole. A key benefit, she notes, is the access to hands-on practical learning that fills gaps in traditional secondary education. “One of my challenges in STEM was getting practical experience, because oftentimes in school, we learn a lot of theory, but it is difficult to get hands-on experience with the areas of study,” she said. “So, the way I overcome this is by enrolling in many practical courses such as SPISE…. I would certainly aim to do more of these in the future.”
Bousquet’s track record—including a gold medal at the Caribbean Science Foundation’s annual Mathematics Olympiad and her standout performance at SPISE—speaks to her relentless dedication to advancing her STEM skills. Looking ahead, she plans to pursue a career as a chemical engineer, with a focus on solving one of the Caribbean’s most pressing challenges: improving regional food security. “This is something I am very passionate about as it combines my interest in food and in STEM,” she said.
Developed by the Caribbean Science Foundation, SPISE holds its annual session between July and August at UWI’s Barbados campus. In Saint Lucia, the programme has long depended on LUCELEC’s sustained support to open its doors to local emerging talent.