This summer, the University of the Virgin Islands’ (UVI) Navigating Home program provided valuable workforce fellowship opportunities for two Virgin Islands youth, offering new ways for recent graduates to build STEM careers while contributing to the local workforce.
Designed for early-career professionals from the U.S. Virgin Islands, Navigating Home offers both short- and long-term placements that combine hands-on experience with mentorship from UVI, nonprofits, agencies, and local partners.
“These fellowships create career pathways in STEM for Virgin Islanders,” said Dr. Kristin Wilson Grimes, project lead at UVI’s Center for Marine and Environmental Studies. “We’ve built strong partnerships over the years, and placements through DPNR and other local organizations often lead to full-time jobs—our long-term goal.”
The program is focused on bringing back, training, and retaining Virgin Islanders with Bachelor’s or Master’s degrees who are committed to contributing to the future of their home islands.
One of this summer’s fellows, Gidal Williams, graduated from St. Croix Educational Complex and the University of the Virgin Islands. At UVI, he is mentored by Dr. Lauren Olinger and Doug Wilson, where his work blends technology with ocean science. His fellowship involves researching Sargassum drift to understand how it reaches the Virgin Islands, developing computer code to simulate its movement based on ocean currents and wind, and repairing UVI’s Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) used in oceanographic data collection. “This experience has been both challenging and rewarding,” Williams said. “It’s given me significant learning opportunities while contributing to UVI’s marine research capacity.”
Meanwhile, Marissa Bornn, a graduate of VI Montessori School & Peter Gruber International Academy and Princeton University, served as a Conservation Fellow with Coral World Ocean and Reef Initiative. Her fellowship fully immersed her in coral restoration. She assisted with coral husbandry, maintenance of land-based and in-water nurseries, health assessments, and future outplanting to reefs around St. Thomas and St. John. She also contributed to monitoring data collection, restoration planning, and the care of herbivorous invertebrates. “Every day in this fellowship was a dream come true,” Bornn said. “I got to dive in my home waters of the Virgin Islands, work hands-on with corals, and learn from brilliant and inspiring people.”
This summer’s fellowships highlight how powerful it can be to engage young Virgin Islanders in real-world projects that both grow their careers and strengthen the resilience of the islands.
A limited number of short-term fellowship positions are still available. To learn more about the Navigating Home program or to apply, visit www.navigatinghomeproject.com.
The Navigating Home program is funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation.
