Recipients of this prestigious award have pursued immersive fieldwork and internships that have fostered deeper connections to their areas of study.
For University of Michigan students receiving the Boyce Family Caribbean Studies Grant through the College of LSA’s Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LACS), summer offers more than a chance to travel—it is an opportunity to immerse themselves in the living histories and vibrant cultures of the Caribbean. Thanks to the grant, students at every stage of their academic journey, from undergrad to Ph.D., can conduct field research in an English-, French-, or Dutch-speaking Caribbean country, bringing their studies to life in ways that libraries or online archives alone could never replicate.
Drs. Paul (B.S. 1994) and Simone Boyce generously funded the grant, which reflects their personal connection to the region: both grew up in the Caribbean. The Boyce family’s mission is to ensure that Caribbean Studies at Michigan continues to thrive, offering students the opportunity to explore the region’s rich history and culture.
“The Boyce grant makes possible life-changing experiences. Recipients of this prestigious award have pursued immersive fieldwork and internships that have fostered deeper connections to their areas of study,” said Gavin Arnall, director of the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies. “With their gift, Drs. Paul and Simone Boyce have helped students transform their scholarship through lived experience in the Caribbean.”
Each of the three 2025 Boyce Family Caribbean Studies Grant recipients—Ph.D. students Maya Sudarkasa and Simon Rakei, and undergraduate Ben Kalosa-Kenyon—maximized that opportunity. Through LACS, the grant supports interdisciplinary study, where Caribbean studies intersect with each student's research interests: Maya in history; Simon in anthropology, history, and economics; and Ben in international studies and French. Their trips to the Caribbean broadened their understanding of the region's literary movements, financial institutions, and Pan-African identities.
Read Maya, Simon, and Ben's Stories
Life-changing Education in LSA
In the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, life-changing education in the liberal arts and sciences extends beyond the classroom, and research and discovery happen further afield. Culturally immersive international internship and field research opportunities—like those that the Boyce Caribbean Studies Grant supports—expand students’ perspectives and help them contextualize global affairs, including political, educational, societal, and economic issues.
Look to Michigan for the foundational knowledge and experience to ignite purposeful change.
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