Up to 20 V.I. students will be heading to Yale, Stanford, Princeton and other top-flight colleges for three weeks of intensive government study worth advance placement credit in college, if Virgin Islanders help raise enough money to send all of them.
For more than two decades, a select group of academically talented V.I. students have traveled to the states for the U.S. State Department’s Junior Statesmen of America Program, St. Croix attorney Ernest Morris told Rotary of St. Croix Thursday at their weekly lunch meeting. 
Morris has helped promote and recruit for Junior Statesmen for years and attended himself two decades ago when he was in high school. Rotary of St. Croix invited Morris to speak about the program and gave a donation to help defray costs for the students who are accepted.
Students take college level courses in American government and other advanced social sciences, and take part in activities designed to improve communication and critical thinking skills.
"Some of the best students from around the country come every year," Morris said. "I did it myself, and it has been my pleasure … since I came home to recruit other bright young local individuals to the program to see and interact with other high caliber students," he said, adding that it “lets them know, although they are from a small territory, they are capable of doing big things, of excelling in academic surroundings."
The program is in its 70th year, and more than 300 Virgin Islanders have participated since 1991, according to the local JSA website.
Morris, who attended Junior Statesman programs at Yale in 1993 and Georgetown in 1995, said the program had a "tremendous impact" on his life.
"It was the first time I was immersed in an environment where people were there not just because they were supposed to, but everyone there wanted to go. It was a different kind of learning environment. … It was a wonderful experience," he said.
"I think I worked six or seven years as a resident assistant in the program. It’s been wonderful for me and I have been trying my best to make sure more Virgin Islanders have that same experience," he said.
The U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Insular Affairs offers scholarships to the insular territories, but those are limited in number – only four this year – and far more students qualify, so many students need to raise funds to be able to go, Morris said.
On St. Croix this year they accepted 11 students and another nine on St. Thomas, so 16 did not receive full scholarships, he said. Tuition, room and board are $4,800 per student this year.
"It warms my heart that Rotary of St. Croix continues to be one of the consistent sponsors of the Junior Statesmen program," he said, going on to emphasize the need for community support to help more students attend.
Rotary member Sandra Phaire asked, "So if any one person wanted to sponsor a youth, that would be about $5,000?"
"Probably more like $5,300 including air fare," Morris said.
V.I. students accepted to this year’s program are listed below, along with their grades:
GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY SESSION:
Roy Arcamo – St. Croix Educational Complex – 11th
Estelle Jules – St. Joseph’s Catholic High School – 10th
Rohan Samtani – Antilles School – 11th
Noah Stolz – V.I. Montessori – 11th
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY SESSION:
Darshan Aidasani – All Saints Cathedral School – 9th
Yash Bajaj – All Saints Cathedral School – 10th
Cariece Browne – St. Croix Educational Complex – 10th
Roshni Lalwani – Antilles School – 9th
Sunil Mahepath – Good Hope Country Day School – 10th
Marcus Norkaitis – V.I. Montessori – 10th
Sidharth Parwani – All Saints Cathedral School – 10th
STANFORD UNIVERSITY SESSION:
Areannah Agathe – St. Croix Central High School – 11th
Nashali Cepeda – St. Croix Central High School – 10th
Hakeem Claxton – St. Croix Central High School – 10th
Kari Currence – Good Hope Country Day School – 11th
Ericson Etienne – Good Hope Country Day School – 11th
Bria James – St. Croix Central High School – 11th
Natalie McConnell – Antilles School – 9th
Resham Mirpuri – Antilles School – 9th
Maryam O’Neil – Good Hope Country Day School – 10th
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA SESSION:
Hairol Breton-Pera – Charlotte Amalie High School – 10th
