Three Virgin Islands Students Receive STEM Scholarships From D. Cromwell Organization

The Denise Cromwell STEM Scholarship committee last week announced that three students from across the territory were awarded $1,000 scholarships to go towards their STEM educational goals.

The D. Cromwell STEM Scholarship Program was founded in 2017 by Denise Cromwell, a Virgin Islander from St. Croix with a degree in chemical engineering, employed as a regional project manager at British Petroleum in Texas City, Texas.

The 2018 recipients are Ajani Gordon (St. Croix Educational Complex High School), Juchara Margetson (Charlotte Amalie High School), and Kylanni Titre (St. Croix Central High School), according to a release the nonprofit issued.

Mr. Gordon has enrolled in Florida Institute of Technology located in Melbourne, FL, and is majoring in computer engineering, according to the release. Upon obtaining his degree, Mr. Gordon envisions creating a program for Virgin Islands high school students interested in learning about coding.

Miss Margetson has enrolled at the University of the Virgin Islands on the St. Thomas campus, and is majoring in chemistry. She aspires to become a pediatrician or a surgeon. Miss Margetson enjoys helping people and recognizes the need for more physicians in the Virgin Islands, and hopes to one day fill that void.

Mr. Titre has enrolled into the University of the Virgin Islands on the St. Croix Campus, and is majoring in marine biology. The young man hopes to become a marine biologist as he’s very passionate about marine life and the importance of keeping the territory clean in order to protect the corals, according to the release. Mr. Titre has a vision of giving back to his community by eventually starting a coral restoration program.

This year’s awards were made possible following an effort by Ms. Cromwell and her team to pool together and personally donate toward the scholarships, according to the release. Donors included Desiree Cromwell, Auriel Hector, Jamelah Morton, Kitichia Weekes, Merlin Theodore, Nichole Greenaway-Hinds and Gwendolyn A. Williams.

The entire team is comprised of Virgin Islanders who are extremely passionate about giving back to the community that made it possible for them to become who they are today, according to the release. “This is only a small token of our appreciation and we are hoping to expand and do more in future years,” Ms. Cromwell said.