St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands – St. Croix Foundation for Community Development is proud to announce the recipients of the Patrick and Amelia Williams Opportunity Fund and the Lang-Wise STEM Scholarship Fund. This year’s recipients were nine exceptionally talented students who were presented with over $29,000 in scholarships during an Awards Presentation held on July 9th, 2026, at St. Croix Foundation’s headquarters in Sunday Market Square.
Patrick & Amelia Williams Opportunity Fund
The Patrick and Amelia Williams Opportunity Fund awarded a total of $18,000 to five ambitious and talented young people who demonstrated their ability to persevere against the odds to meet their goals. One Invitation-Only Scholarship was issued to Jahnaiy Rodriguez for a third consecutive year to support his third year studying Physical Therapy at Florida A & M University. And four Competitive Scholarships, ranging from $2000 to $4000 each, were awarded to:
- Kadence Milligan — Georgia State University, Neuroscience
- Terrise Mitchell — Lone Star College, Cardiac Sonography
- Ace Poyah — University of South Carolina, International Business
- Sherina Turney — Tennessee State University, Nursing
Lang-Wise STEM Scholarship Fund
The Lang-Wise STEM Scholarship Fund awarded a total of $10,000 in awards ranging from $500 to $3,500 to six youth whose talent, skill, and leadership will allow them to contribute to the Virgin Islands and the Global Community.
- Daryl Griffith — Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Biological Engineering
- Israel Popo — Tulsa Welding School, Welding and Pipefitting
- Kadence Milligan — Georgia State University, Neuroscience
- Keemar Croskey — Rochester Institute of Technology, Computer Science & Software Engineering (dual major)
- Terrise Mitchell — Lone Star College, Cardiac Sonography
- Na‑Jaii Hospedales — LeMoyne‑Owen College, Biology
In a strategy to maximize impact, St. Croix Foundation often layers resources from multiple funds to sustain scholars beyond a single award. Na‑Jaii Hospedales received a Lang‑Wise STEM scholarship and, after further review that considered his financial gap and drive to succeed, the Foundation identified an additional $1,000 from its Foundation Scholars Fund to increase his award. Similarly, Kadence Milligan and Terrise Mitchell benefited from combined support from both the Lang‑Wise STEM Scholarship Fund and the Patrick & Amelia Williams Opportunity Fund. This coordinated approach ensures strict compliance with each fund’s guidelines while helping to meet the real needs of our young people and their families.
Jahnaiy Rodriguez, a third-year recipient (2024-2026) of the Patrick & Amelia Williams Opportunity Fund and a 2024 recipient of the Lang-Wise STEM Scholarship Fund, is preparing to enter his junior year at Florida A & M University, studying health science and physical therapy. In his statement, Jahnaiy shared, “… my heartfelt thanks and my gratitude to everyone in this room for our successful matriculation into our respective universities. Thank you to the donors for taking a chance on us, giving us an opportunity to chase after our dreams, and helping to make them a reality.” Advising first-year students, Jahnaiy continued, “Take time to network with your professors, peers at university, and with every person in this room… it will help to get you over the bumps on your journey.”
Fund Background and Impact
Lang-Wise STEM Scholarship Fund
The Lang-Wise STEM Scholarship Fund, now in its third year, continues to be a beacon of hope and opportunity for students pursuing careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Established by Native Crucian, Raydiance Wise, herself an engineer in the aerospace and defense industry, the Fund’s purpose is specifically designed to offset unexpected expenses for first-year university students. At the heart of this fund’s purpose lies philanthropy itself, with each applicant being asked to describe how they envision themselves giving back to the Virgin Islands and on a global level.
Since 2023, the Lang-Wise STEM Scholarship Fund has awarded $51,900 to 21 ambitious St. Croix graduates studying forensic accounting, plant genetics, aerospace and bioengineering, computer and software engineering, physical therapy and more.
Speaking to this year’s award recipients, Raydiance Wise stated, “You have such vision and such passion for the field you are going into.” Encouraging awardees to think of ways to give back after honing their expertise, Wise stated, “A 2013 scholarship recipient of the Lang-Wise STEM Scholarship Fund, Biko McMillan, is now serving on the St. Croix Foundation Board of Directors and was on our 2026 Scholarship Selection Committee… so it came full circle. I hope that in 10 years I can point to some of you serving on a Board or Selection Committee in the same way.”
Patrick and Amelia Williams Opportunity Fund
The Patrick and Amelia Williams Opportunity Fund was established in 2018 by Junior Gaspard, a distinguished alumnus of Central High School and John H. Woodson Junior High School. Created one year after Hurricanes Irma and Maria, in honor of his grandparents, Patrick and Amelia Williams, the Fund embodies a spirit of resilience and determination. Patrick Williams, a trailblazer who moved his family from St. Vincent to St. Croix, and Amelia Williams, who faced the challenges of losing her eyesight with grace and courage, serve as inspirations for this Fund. It aims to support public high school graduates who have encountered and overcome significant obstacles, empowering them to pursue higher education and achieve personal and professional success.
To date, the Patrick and Amelia Williams Opportunity Fund has awarded $131,500 to 25 young people pursuing a diverse range of degrees, from social work and music education to biochemistry and meteorology. Of those young people, seven were invited back for one to three more years of support, ensuring that as studies become more intensive and financial aid decreases, awardees receive sustained support that is critical to success.
“These scholarships are a blessing to students along their journey, but… they are also a blessing to us,” Junior Gaspard described, “because it gives us an opportunity to speak about our grandparents and keep their memory alive in a very vivid and tangible way that’s also moving the next generation forward. This feels like a gift to be able to do this every year.”
St. Croix Foundation President, Deanna James, stated that “Each year, St. Croix Foundation continues to intentionally create pathways to successful futures through our scholarship fund portfolio to nurture a pipeline of support for our young people. By continuously assessing the landscape and adapting our approach, we strengthen the foundation for a resilient, thriving future for the Virgin Islands. The candidates for this year’s scholarship exemplified perseverance and ambition, and represent diverse fields of study – all of which are directly related to their experiences growing up in the Virgin Islands and their commitment to give back.”
James encouraged each recipient to consider this as “Just the beginning of an enduring relationship with the Foundation and our network.”
St. Croix Foundation wishes to extend its sincerest appreciation to the Donors and Advisors of the Lang-Wise STEM Scholarship Fund, Raydiance Wise and Alice Lang, and the Patrick and Amelia Williams Opportunity Fund, Junior Gaspard, Anquanette Gaspard, Johnny Gaspard, Jermaine Gaspard, and Anita Gaspard, as well as the Foundation’s Grants & Scholarship Committee for their time and care in evaluating applications.
As these scholars begin the next chapter of their educational journeys, St. Croix Foundation invites Virgin Islanders at home and abroad to remember the people who helped make their own paths possible. Scholarships like these exist because members of our community choose to invest in the next generation. To expand opportunities for St. Croix students, the Foundation encourages individuals, families, and businesses to learn how they can help build lasting pathways to higher education for future scholars. Help St. Croix Foundation open more doors for the next generation and support these special funds at https://stxfoundation.info/GiveScholarships or call 340‑773‑9898.