Meet EmpowerU's 2026 Scholarship Recipients

Every year, EmpowerU reviews applications from Caribbean students who are doing the work — building academic records, holding down jobs, supporting families, and still showing up with ambition and a plan. Every year, the hardest part is knowing we can't fund everyone.

This year's 2026 scholarship recipients represent exactly who EmpowerU was built to support. Five students. Five communities behind them. Five fields the Caribbean needs more expertise in. We are proud to introduce them.

Hiya Suri

BSc Neuroscience · Dalhousie University

"I plan to major in neuroscience and am excited to pursue my academic and career goals. I am grateful for this scholarship and appreciate EmpowerU's support."

Hiya is pursuing a Bachelor of Science at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with plans to major in neuroscience — one of the most demanding and consequential fields in modern science. Neuroscience sits at the intersection of biology, medicine, and human behavior, and researchers in the field are driving breakthroughs in how we understand the brain, mental health, and neurological conditions that affect communities worldwide.

The Caribbean has long exported talent to institutions like Dalhousie. EmpowerU's investment in Hiya is a bet that the knowledge she builds there finds its way back — in whatever form her career takes.

Raenel Lake

BS Business Administration, Facilities Management · Florida A&M University

"As a student from Sint Maarten, I am committed to using my education and experiences to contribute to the development and improvement of infrastructure and facilities in the Caribbean."

Raenel is an undergraduate student at Florida A&M University — one of the most storied HBCUs in the United States — pursuing a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Facilities Management. It's a field that rarely gets the spotlight it deserves, and Raenel's vision for it is exactly right: the Caribbean has real, urgent infrastructure needs, and the people who understand how to build and manage those systems are among the most valuable assets any island can have.

Raenel's clarity about why she's studying what she's studying — and where she intends to apply it — is exactly the kind of intentionality EmpowerU looks for.

Aaliyah Daflaar

MS Clinical Mental Health Counseling · Florida State University

"As an international student from Sint Maarten, I am very grateful for opportunities that support my educational journey and allow me to make a meaningful impact in my community."

Aaliyah is an incoming graduate student at Florida State University, where she will pursue a degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. With a background in psychology and a clear sense of purpose, she is building the credentials to do something that Caribbean communities need deeply and discuss too rarely: professional mental health support, delivered by someone who understands the cultural context.

The Caribbean mental health conversation is changing — slowly, but it's changing. Aaliyah is part of that change. Her commitment to returning that expertise to her community is exactly what EmpowerU invests in.

Goldie Pohuja

BSc Artificial Intelligence · Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

"I am excited to learn, grow, and explore the possibilities of AI to empower my community."

Goldie is heading to Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam to study Artificial Intelligence — and the way she talks about it says everything. She's not chasing the technology for its own sake. She's chasing what it can do for people. AI is reshaping industries, governments, and communities at a pace most institutions are still catching up with.

Having Caribbean voices inside that field — people who understand what their communities actually need and can shape how these tools get built and used — is not a nice-to-have. It's urgent.

Goldie intends to be one of those voices. EmpowerU is glad to be part of how she gets there.

Ferley Daniela Feliz Valerio

Pre-Medicine · Maastricht University

"I'm passionate about science, creativity, and giving back to the people and community around me."

Ferley — who also goes by Daniela — has called Sint Maarten home since she was five years old. She is an aspiring doctor and entrepreneur who brings something distinct to this cohort: a creative life running alongside her academic one. Between her crochet and jewelry business and her passion for visual art, Ferley is someone who understands that building a life worth living isn't just about credentials — it's about the whole person you become in the process.

Now she's taking her first step toward medicine at Maastricht University, one of Europe's leading research institutions. The Caribbean needs more doctors who grew up here, who know what it costs to access care, and who are driven by something deeper than career ambition. Ferley is building toward exactly that.

What this class represents

Neuroscience. Business and infrastructure. Clinical mental health. Artificial intelligence. Medicine. Five fields the Caribbean needs, being built by people who came from the region and intend to give something back to it. That's not a coincidence — it's what happens when you fund students who are already thinking beyond themselves.

Caribbean communities don't have a shortage of talented people with diverse ambitions. They have a shortage of funding and support structures that make those ambitions possible. EmpowerU exists to be part of that support structure.

We're proud of every one of our 2026 scholars. Follow along this year as we share their stories — and if you feel inspired help us fund the next cohort! Every contribution makes a direct difference.

Support EmpowerU's scholarship fund at empoweru.online/donate — and help us fund the 2027 class.