U.S. based Guyanese academic achiever Keayla Vanderstoop is the pride of her parents

May 24, 2026 Features / Columnists, News, Young entrepreneurs

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By Shermon Hawker

(Kaieteur News) – Waking up daily and looking through her window, a curly-haired little girl from Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, Berbice would gaze not at the nearby houses, into the furthest horizon, contemplating what her contribution to society will be. Whatever, it would be, it must align with science.

The plan, in sequence was to be a model. The eldest sibling and a gem in the eyes of her parents, commit painstakingly to studies and secure a place in the country’s premier secondary institution, and earn a degree someday. That, will pull those dreams closer.

The plan, which was glued together by discipline, tenacity, and with the unyielding support from her family, worked out just perfectly, and Keayla Vanderstoop now holds a Bachelor’s Degree in chemical engineering, with a Double Minor in chemistry and mathematics from Howard University in Washington, D.C.

For the 23-year-old, the benefits of the oil and gas sector are ripe for the taking. Our Sunday feature star grew up with her parents and two younger siblings. The first page of her formal learning was turned at the Little Bethlehem Play School, followed by St. Mary’s Nursery School, then through to the All Saints Primary School, all in New Amsterdam, Berbice. Excelling at the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) in 2014 and ranking among the Region’s top students placed her at Queens College in Georgetown.

Now of age, Vanderstoop is wholly conscious of how critical a parent’s role is in influencing a child’s future. She attributed her accomplishments to parents Esan and Pellon Vanderstoop, who she hailed as her collective mainstay.

“I had a pretty good upbringing, very supportive parents who always pushed me toward my best and doing nothing but my best. They never held back, they were always supportive of anything that I need to do. Without my parents, I don’t know where I’d be,” she shared with Kaieteur News.

Her being an academic top-performer has been nothing but an exemplary tale of a smoothly functioning parent-child relationship that beautifully translates to “you back me, I make you proud.”

ACADEMIC SUCCESS

Keayla has never been career-conflicted. Far back as memory would permit, the young degree holder told Kaieteur News that her mind has been ornamented with all things science.

Ultimately, options within that vast field drastically narrowed down when she entered Queen’s College and sat in her Chemistry class. There, she laid the groundwork for her career choice, one which she envisioned from the outset away from the popular, go-to options of the nursing and teaching professions most females in Guyana occupy.

“I think it was fifth form, and everybody was now learning about oil discovery in Guyana and what are the different careers that are possible within the oil industry. Around that same time, I had a school project….I think my group, we focused our project on oil absorbing materials and how they could possibly be used to clean up oil spills.”

After briefly flirting with several career prospects in the local oil and gas industry, Keayla’s heart rested on chemical engineering, eager to journey through the expansive field of it.

“I was looking for something that I will be really passionate about doing, and that can take me anywhere with it….it was a group project that really inspired me to look at oil-absorbing materials and look at how it can be applied in Guyana’s situation in case there is an oil spill, looking at those materials that can absorb the oil and hopefully help to clean up the oil spill so that it won’t affect the marine and aquatic life.”

THE TASK AHEAD

Acceptance into that US-based university proved bittersweet, for it meant that she was well in pursuit of her goals, but for which attainment she must temporarily forfeit the fellowship of family, friends and familiar faces. She spoke about transitioning to a new phase of life and environment altogether so that her dreams may meet reality, infusing her mind with the maxim, “nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

“Moving from somewhere like Guyana and moving to somewhere like Washington, D.C., you obviously have to adjust to the different climate, the food, the people, you just have to get acquainted with the environment. For me at first, that was very challenging getting adjusted to that. It took some time, but over time I made some friends , other Guyanese people who are here, Trinis, Bajans, a lot of Caribbean people, so it made it feel like a second home..”

The Berbician departed Guyana back in 2022, leaving everyone and everything she cherished dearly back at home, but carried the confidence and love of her parents, siblings and friends as vital sustenance.

PERSEVERANCE PAYS

When she set sail on that complex course, she already knew it would not be entirely smooth sailing. Riding the waves of such a demanding major called for nerves of steel and unrelenting determination. With a lot pinned on her, and desiring more than anything else to make her parents proud and to establish a pattern for her siblings, Keayla toiled for four years between chemistry, math, physics and engineering classes and grueling studying time. Balancing her academic obligations with her social life and being away from home proved truly challenging.

On May 9, 2026, Vanderstoop graduated Summa Cum Laude (highest recognition) for her Bachelor of Science Degree, much to the elation of Berbicians who flooded social media with celebratory notes, and there are not many others more jubilant than Guyanese when a compatriot excels abroad, but none could be more ecstatic than her mother Pellon, a well-established Berbician hairstylist, who spoke on behalf of herself and husband:

“As parents, we couldn’t be more proud of our first-born. She continues setting the bar high for her siblings and being an inspiration to everyone around her through her hard work and dedication.”

A CHANCE TO BREATHE

When not face-buried in books, Keayla relishes time shared among friends and family, and is a lover of watching movies, listening to music and playing Uno, a fun family card game.

She also found fulfillment abroad while volunteering with an organization – Engineers without Borders – where she helped steer students along the path of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) at a Washington-based high school. Vanderstoop lent her efforts pro bono at the American Institute of Chemical Engineering under an after school arrangement, where she gave insights on an elephant toothpaste experiment, and motivated broadly on the advantages of chemical engineering.

The Berbician also positively occupied her time there in helping to beautify community gardens.

It well may not be the end of her journey, as Vanderstoop retains all youthful essence and remarkable academic prowess, but for now, the consistent high-flyer anticipates a little casual repose, seeking to return home “very soon” to reunite with loved ones and the native hometown she heartbreakingly had to leave behind nearly five years ago.

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• Guyanese academic achiever, Howard University, Keayla Vanderstoop, New Amsterdam

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