Education United States Project #36183

Faces of STEM(TM)

by STEM Advantage

Project Report | Oct 9, 2024
Internships make a difference!

By Lee Ann Kline | President & Founder, STEM Advantage

Dominic at his Meta internship and other programs

On behalf of our Scholars, I hope you had a wonderful summer. Sharing an update on internships and our summer career program, which help shape Scholars' summer experiences.

Internships are vital to help students gain real-world experience. As there were fewer internships this summer and they were very competitive, we strengthened our career programs through partnerships with other programs, including CodePath for technical coding interviews, UCLA Extension's Data Science Certificate program, and Break Through Tech AI. Plus, we developed a Summer Career Program to help Scholars strengthen their skills and prepare for fall recruiting and STEM-related conferences, including the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) convention in Anaheim, which is local for most of our Scholars. Other programming included resumes, interviewing skills, an entry level hiring process panel with recruiters, a panel with hiring managers, time management, saving & budgeting, building your financial future, consulting careers, graduate school and PhD programs, relocation considerations, and more.

If your company provides paid internships and/or hires new graduates, please contact Jasmyn at jasmyn@stemadvantage.org or me at leeann@stemadvantage.org to discuss your needs and our vetted talent.

Showcasing a few Scholars at their internships...

Dominic is earning a B.S. in Computer Science at San Diego State University.

"I started the summer by attending the Summer Institute of Emerging Managers and Leaders (SIEML) at UC Davis, where I had the opportunity to learn from all the UC business schools and participate in a case competition. Following that, I began my summer software engineering internship at Meta (Facebook), which I am currently still doing. It has been an incredible experience, and I am learning a lot. Additionally, I was fortunate to attend the Harvard Summer Venture Management Program (SVMP) for a week, where I got to learn about what business school looks like at Harvard and connect with other students who share similar aspirations. Thank you for all your support and for making these opportunities possible!"

Tiffany is earning a B.S. in Computer Science at Cal Poly Pomona.

"As an ECAE Systems Engineering Intern at Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), I support the ECAE team in automating processes and functions to enhance the ECAE/ECAD workflow and user management; ultimately contributing to an improved end-user experience. I really appreciate all the support and guidance I get from STEM Advantage!" Tiffany also completed the Break Through Tech AI program at UCLA.

Julia is earning a bachelor's degree in Computer Science at Cal Poly Pomona. Roxana is earning a bachelor's degree in Computer Science at Cal State LA. This summer they were selected as Futureforce Tech Launchpad Scholars at Salesforce, where they learned full stack web development, completed a capstone project, and were mentored by Salesforce professionals.

Aletheia is earning a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering at Cal Poly Pomona.

"During my internship with the Mighty Mouse Product Engineering Team at Glenair, I learned about product engineering/design and manufacturing through hands-on experiences like using SolidWorks, tolerance analysis, and resin 3D printing."

Randy is earning a bachelor's degree in Computer Science at Cal State Fullerton.

"This summer I interned as a Software Developer at Amazon Web Services in Seattle on the Amazon Q Business team. Q Business is a Generative AI powered assistant to accelerate software development and productivity. I was able to gain professional experience and learn about all the services AWS offers."

Thank you again for your support. It makes all the difference in the world.

Tiffany at JPL

Julia and Roxana at Salesforce

Aletheia at her internship at Glenair

Randy at his Amazon Web Services (AWS) internship

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Jun 1, 2024
The power of partnerships

By Lee Ann Kline | President & Founder, STEM Advantage

Graduation photos - Lauren, Daniel, and Emily

Dear donors,

Thank you for investing in STEM Advantage Scholars. We are grateful for your support.

2024 has been a busy time with a focus on professional and career development workshops and panels to help our scholars, primarily first-generation college students from lower-income families, prepare for, gain confidence, and launch careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Sharing a few highlights.

We appreciate our corporate partners that host in-person events at their offices to deliver relevant and timely content to support our scholars and provide opportunities for students to meet each other and STEM professionals to build community, belonging, and their network. A few examples:

Microsoft graciously hosted an AI (artificial intelligence) Briefing and Networking event, plus lunch and a tour, at their Irvine (California) Technology Center.
Reddit hosted a panel engaging scholars in discussions covering AI, strategies for overcoming imposter syndrome, technical interviewing skills, and navigating the job market as first-generation professionals. After a hosted lunch and networking, scholars met with the panelists in small groups for in-depth discussions.
Women in Technology Hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood, and Qvest hosted an event for our female and nonbinary scholars, alumnae, mentors and other STEM professionals in our network to celebrate Women's History Month at Universal Studios Hollywood. Evening featured an inspirational panel "Finding Your Voice - how to contribute impactfully at work" and networking.
Deloitte hosted a professional and career development workshop and networking event for our scholars to celebrate the end of finals, graduation, and the start of summer. Deloitte professionals discussed consulting careers, how they see Generative AI affecting early career roles, and how some companies are using AI in their work. They conducted mock interviews using commonly asked questions students can expect in an interview and how to respond authentically. This lays the foundation for students to practice interviewing skills this summer during our Virtual Career Summer Program and with their mentor. This was a wonderful opportunity for students to meet each other and Deloitte professionals, build friendships and their network.
Over 20 corporate partners participated on career panels, e.g., STEM Careers in Aerospace, STEM Careers in Media & Entertainment, and STEM Careers in Engineering companies.

Thanks to your support, over 150 STEM Advantage Scholars celebrated a significant achievement in May - earning a bachelor's degree! We are incredibly proud of these talented students, who are primarily first-generation college students from lower-income families. This testament to their hard work, grit, and determination is a celebration for the new grads as well as their family and friends. We are excited to follow their amazing accomplishments as they realize their full potential. Plus, they are role models and will inspire siblings and young people in their community to pursue their dreams.

"STEM Advantage has given me wonderful support in transitioning from an engineering student to a working engineer. From excellent mentoring, resume assistance, and warm and honest conversations with STEM staff, I am so honored and thankful to be accepted as a scholar. I greatly look forward to my future as an engineer and to becoming a mentor myself one day for the organization. Thank you for everything!" - Lauren

Thank you again for making a difference and investing in talented students.

@ Microsoft's Irvine Technology Center

@ Reddit

@ Deloitte

@ Women's History Month event

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Jan 22, 2024
A recap of 2023 in photos

By Lee Ann Kline | President & Founder, STEM Advantage

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