High School STEM Career Awareness Fellows Cite Program’s Value

100% OF SURVEY RESPONDENTS IN SECOND GRADUATING CLASS RECOMMEND THE FELLOWSHIP

With the second class of the Sandra Lee Heyman Foundation Fellowship weighing in, all graduates of the program responding to surveys now have endorsed the program designed to expand high school students’ awareness of careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Begun in 2020, the fellowship program has enabled high school students in Montgomery County and Washington, D.C., to learn more about STEM careers. The second class of nine fellows met with STEM professionals from conventional and non-traditional fields. Although all of their events took place virtually due to the pandemic, the fellows were able to interact in small groups for candid discussions with the STEM experts. Guests offered insights into their STEM educational choices and experiences as well as candid lessons they have learned along the way.

Key findings from the survey of Class 2 Fellows include:

  • 88% said that the Fellowship informed and influenced their interest in a STEM career.

  • 100% would recommend the Fellowship experience to other students interested in STEM.

Those results closely track with feedback from Class 1 fellows who graduated in 2021, several of whom continued to participate in events even after their formal involvement in the program ended. That includes some who are now freshmen in college.

Among the responses from Class 2 graduates:

“I sincerely believe this program is a 10/10, because it physically exposes you to the people in fields you may be interested in.”

The fellowship “…was a great opportunity to peer into the lives and experiences of the professionals we look up to as students passionate about STEM. As compared to other resources, SLH is a one-of-a-kind program that allows us to grow familiar with STEM careers by conversing with current professionals.”

“…the best part was having the opportunity to listen to the first-hand experiences of the speakers in their respective fields. Career information is not hard to find but hearing real-life experiences in various STEM careers was really helpful.”

 

Additional feedback on the program is available at: https://www.theslhfoundation.org/impact.

Over the past three semesters, STEM professionals and topics included:

  • Carrie Danziger, M.D., Chief of the Albany Medical Center's Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine: pediatric emergency medicine – and challenges of managing an emergency room in our current COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Amy Jenkins, Ph.D., Program Manager, Biological Technologies Office, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA): novel early-stage technologies to create vaccines to combat infectious diseases and pandemics, including COVID-19.

  • Arthur Lupia, Ph.D., Assistant Director and head, Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate, National Science Foundation (NSF): social science and its role in academia, research, and the broader world around us.

  • Madeleine Jacobs, Former American Chemical Society Chief Executive Officer: careers in chemistry and the importance and availability of internships.

  • Matt Barrett, Chief Operating Officer, Cyberesi and Founder of US Cyberdome: cybersecurity trends and education and career opportunities.

  • Audrey Powers, Astronaut and Vice President of Flight Operations, Blue Origin; career paths from co-op engineering student to manufacturing, law, and aerospace.

  • Dr. Judith Mitrani-Reiser, Ph.D., Associate Chief of the Materials and Structural Systems Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST); civil and structural engineering, the role of social sciences in making buildings more resilient, and the importance of STEM internships. 

  • Andrea Heyman, Ph.D., Staff Software Engineer, Machine Learning, Etsy; mathematics, computer science and the value of casting a wide net in STEM education choices. 

  • Lindsey Shi, Intellectual Property Lawyer and Partner, Kirkland & Ellis; the versatility of a STEM career and the intersection between STEM and the legal profession.

  • Dean Lentz, Vice President and General Manager, Ramona Research; electronics, communications, aerospace, and manufacturing careers and what it takes to begin and lead a successful start-up.

Fourteen Class 3 Fellows from four schools in Montgomery County began their fellowships in January and will continue their interactions with STEM professionals next fall when in-person events are expected to resume. Recruitment for Class 4 Fellows will begin in October for high school sophomores. For more information see: https://www.theslhfoundation.org/ or contact Mat Heyman at mat@theslhfoundation.org

The Sandra Lee Heyman Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in memory of Sandra Lee Heyman, a long-time mathematics teacher at the elementary, middle school, high school, and community college levels. The Foundation also sponsors an annual scholarship to recognize an outstanding mathematics student at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, MD, the school where Sandra last taught.

There are multiple ways to get involved with the Fellowship program. The Foundation welcomes expressions of interest in speaking with or mentoring our current, past, and future Fellows. Donations to the Foundation are tax deductible.

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