For Anaiah Bousquet, participating in the Student Programme for Innovation in Science and Engineering (SPISE) was more than five weeks’ experience in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). It was an opportunity to broaden her horizons, build confidence and think bigger about her future.
The recent St Joseph’s Convent graduate is a proud 2026 St Lucia Electricity Services Limited (LUCELEC) SPISE scholar. She was one of two Saint Lucian students selected to participate in the intensive residential STEM initiative held this summer at The University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill Campus in Barbados.
For more than 13 years, LUCELEC has provided an annual SPISE scholarship to support gifted Saint Lucian students taking part in the regional programme.
Bousquet described her SPISE opportunity as “a very rigorous but entertaining experience”, saying it exposed her to new ideas while allowing her to connect with young people from across the Caribbean who share her passion.
She and other participants were encouraged by university recruitment officers to consider opportunities beyond the Caribbean and view higher education as a pathway to contributing to the region’s future.
“I learned a lot of new things. Being around others who enjoy STEM and who come from many different backgrounds has certainly prepared me for university and further education, and so SPISE has allowed me to think bigger and to have higher aspirations,” Bousquet said.
She added that LUCELEC’s support was instrumental in making the experience possible: “For me, having a company such as this sponsoring me was a very big deal. 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.”
The teenager believes the scholarship’s impact extends beyond individual recipients, showing other young Saint Lucians that opportunities such as SPISE can be within their reach.
“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 said.
Bousquet also believes regional STEM programmes are critical to the development of both individual countries and the Caribbean as a whole. She pointed out that they also provide opportunities for practical, hands-on learning.
“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. 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.”
Her gold medal in the Caribbean Science Foundation’s annual Mathematics Olympiad and her experience at SPISE are testament to Bousquet’s commitment to STEM.
She hopes to become a chemical engineer, specialising in improving food security in the Caribbean.
“This is something I am very passionate about as it combines my interest in food and in STEM,” she said.
SPISE is typically held between July and August at The University of the West Indies campus in Barbados. The programme was created by the Caribbean Science Foundation and is supported in Saint Lucia by LUCELEC.
