High School Fellows Point to STEM Career Awareness Program’s Impact

100% of survey respondents in first graduating class recommend the fellowship

Fellows completing the first class of the Sandra Lee Heyman Foundation Fellowship give high grades to the program designed to expand high school students’ awareness of careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), according to a new survey.  

The program, launched in 2020, was initially open to students in two high schools Montgomery County and Washington, D.C. The first event was an in-person laboratory tour and discussions with researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Due to the pandemic, the other eight events over the Fellows’ three semesters were held virtually with accomplished STEM professionals and involved interactive discussions between guest speakers and the Fellows.

Key findings from the survey of Class 1 Fellows include:

  • 93% 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.

  • On average, Fellows rated their interest in the specific field of the guest speaker  as 5.7 out of 10 before a Fellowship event. After the event, their interest jumped to 7.2 out of 10, a 24% increase.

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

Speakers ranged across STEM fields and were selected to represent a variety of well-known careers as well as fields with which students were less likely to be familiar. Fellows engaged in small group sessions with each of the guest speakers, who are at various stages of their careers. Each guest shared their personal journeys leading to their education and career choices and provided insights into challenges and experiences along the way. They focused on career opportunities in their field and offered practical advice. Those STEM professionals, their organization, and topics included:

  • Dr. William Phillips, Nobel Physics Prize winner, and Dr. Francisco Salces-Carcoba: quantum computing; Elena Messina and Kenny Kimble: emergency response robotics; Dr. Angela Hight-Walker: biophysics; Danielle Santos: cybersecurity; Dr. Bryant Nelson: biomaterials; Dr. Brandi Toliver: STEM education fellowships and internships: all from NIST

  • Dr. Simona Petrutiu, Sr. Director Global Marketing, Medtronic: the intersection of engineering, medicine, marketing

  • Peter Wang, Chief Technology Officer, Buzzfeed: how product managers, engineers, designers, and data scientists work together in a high-growth digital media company

  • Dr. Latasha Steele, Bella Obstetrics and Gynecology: what a career as a doctor is really like, women’s health care, how athletics can advance STEM career education

  • Brian Fallik, Vice President of Engineering at Xandr: programming at a startup and the responsible use of data and technology

  • David Herring, Chief, Communication, Education, and Engagement Division, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): data analytics, technology, career opportunities, and education paths in climate science 

  • 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

Class 2 Fellows began their fellowships in February 2021 and will resume events with STEM professionals this fall. Recruitment for Class 3 Fellows will begin in October for high school sophomores. Eligibility will be expanded to other students in Montgomery County and Washington, D.C. For more information about the program 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.

Justin Heyman