From Gros Islet to the corridors of Cambridge, Khadijah Ashanna Halliday is proving that Caribbean excellence transcends borders. The Saint Lucian neurodiversity and mental health advocate, poet and academic has been awarded the prestigious Cambridge Caribbean Scholarship and will begin her Master of Philosophy in Foundations of Clinical Psychology at the University of Cambridge this October.
A graduate of St. Joseph’s Convent and Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, Halliday recently completed her undergraduate studies at Oberlin College in Ohio with the Highest of Honours in Psychology – the only student in the Class of 2025 to earn that distinction – and a perfect 4.0 GPA whilst pursuing a second major in Creative Writing. She was also notably inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest and most prestigious academic honour society in the United States.
“There have definitely been moments when I felt like I didn’t belong or wasn’t enough,” Halliday shared. “But I’m learning to hold space for those feelings without letting them stop me. This scholarship reminds me that my work and my voice have value.”
Her academic journey reflects clear throughlines: psychology, social justice and Caribbean identity. Her honours thesis, titled “Does Stereotype Threat Contribute to Empathy Performance in Autistic Individuals?”, examined how harmful assumptions affect the psychological and emotional responses of autistic people. The study not only interrogated dominant narratives in psychological research but called for more inclusive and affirming approaches, a reflection of Halliday’s broader commitment to mental health equity.
At Oberlin, she was selected for the Oberlin College Research Fellowship and was awarded the 2024 William T. Battrick Poetry Fellowship. Her creative writing — steeped in themes of Caribbean identity, transparency, and self-revelation — has been published in regional literary journals and featured in spoken word showcases.
Halliday was also a Rhodes Scholarship finalist and received offers from both Oxford and Cambridge. Ultimately, she chose Cambridge, drawn to its strong clinical psychology programme and the support of the Cambridge Trust and Caribbean Scholarship, which are making premier education more accessible for students from the region.
“I am committed to using the knowledge and experience gained to contribute meaningfully to youth development and mental health support in Saint Lucia and the wider Caribbean,” she said. “I want to help create a future in which people — especially young and neurodivergent individuals — can see themselves, heal themselves, and reimagine what safety and liberation feels like.”
As she prepares for this new chapter, Halliday remains firmly rooted in her mission of giving back.