Second Class of STEM Career Exploration High School Fellows Selected

Class 2 Fellows will join Class 1 in learning about a wide range of STEM careers over the next three semesters

The second class of high school students to participate in a Washington, D.C., area fellowship program that enables them to explore careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) was announced today by the Sandra Lee Heyman Foundation. 

The eight new Fellows are from Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, MD. They join 27 first class Fellows who attend the Washington Leadership Academy, a public charter school in the District of Columbia, and Richard Montgomery.  All new Fellows in the class of 2021-2022 are second semester sophomores: Kevin Baer, Vrinda Bhandari, Carmen Kenfack, Anna Lee, Tanya Paul, Niyati Sharma, Aishwarya Thalla, and Lindsey Zhang.

Fellows are promising high school students who enjoy science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and are curious to learn more about exciting potential careers in these areas. They range from those who already aim to pursue a STEM career but have not yet identified a specialty to other students who are only beginning to consider the possibility of STEM-based higher education and careers.

Over 18 months, Fellows meet with STEM leaders, visit leading STEM institutions in the DC area, and access peers and mentors to support career exploration in STEM. Even though most events to date have been held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the small group online sessions are interactive and include speakers from around the country. Fellows receive a stipend.

For three semesters the Fellows take part in events that offer close-up views of careers in which STEM education is a solid foundation – from laboratory researchers and those in “traditional” science and engineering careers to others who use their STEM backgrounds in sports management, arts and entertainment, business and finance, and journalism. To date, Fellows have visited laboratories at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and spoken with scientists, including a Nobel laureate, about quantum computing, robotics, and careers in STEM. Virtual sessions included a computer scientist who is vice president of a digital advertising company, a doctor practicing obstetrics and gynecology, an engineer working in a senior marketing position with a medical equipment manufacturer, the Chief Technology Officer of a popular digital media company, and a government climate specialist and communicator.

Fellows are also connected with previous winners of the Sandra Lee Heyman Higher Mathematics Award – a scholarship given annually since 1999 to one outstanding Richard Montgomery High School mathematics student. 

The non-profit Foundation conducts its work in memory and honor of Sandra Lee Heyman, who taught mathematics at the community college, high school, and middle school level in Montgomery County (MD), Fairfax County (VA), and New Providence (NJ). She passed away in 1998 due to an autoimmune blood disease. The Foundation was formed by Sandra’s family to honor her memory and extend her legacy. The Foundation will consider expanding the fellowship in future years based on the first several classes’ experience. Volunteers interested in being considered as a guest speaker, host for a field trip, or mentor can find more information here: www.theslhfoundation.org/volunteer

For more information, visit: www.theslhfoundation.org or email Foundation Board President Mat Heyman: mat@theslhfoundation.org.

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