April 1, 2022
Hi there, đź‘‹

April has arrived. We are into the middle of your semester and hope things are going well. Don't forget that we are here for your pursuit of all things STEM! Get inspired with all of the STEM news the STEMINIST brings to you, as well as upcoming events, internships, and news about you and your peers.
YOU ONLY HAVE ABOUT TWO WEEKS TO APPLY!
Exelon Foundation STEM Leadership Academy Applications are open until 4.11.22!
Applications for the 5th annual summer Exelon Foundation STEM Leadership Academy are still open! 🙌

We recommend applying early so your teacher has time to complete the Recommendation form! Applications are Due April 11, 2022, apply now!

*The 2022 Academy is being planned as a fully in-person experience. If public health recommendations dictate, the Academy may be held virtually. Applicants will be informed of any change to the program prior to accepting their position.
Climate Justice Workshop
April 21, 2022
4:30 CT/5:30 ET - 5:30 CT/6:30 ET pm

About the Workshop
Climate change and social inequity often feel so enormous and abstract that it's tough to imagine one's individual role in the problems and in the solutions. 

In this workshop, we will: 
  • Cultivate our understanding of climate justice
  • Expand our thinking about just climate solutions and our role in social change
  • Develop our intersectional lens for climate justice within our self awareness, the work we do, and the organizations we work with.


Alyssa Dizon, our presenter, is a product manager, community leader, organizer, and social entrepreneur with a track record of building momentum at high-growth, mission-driven startups.

She is currently a Product Manager at BlocPower, a climate tech startup decarbonizing buildings in underserved communities. She has organized for climate justice at the local, state, national, and global level through various networks, including her neighborhood mutual aid network in Central Brooklyn, a NYCHA-tenant led campaign for a Green New Deal for Public Housing, and the Terra.do community, where she supports professionals around the world in bringing their personal climate justice practices into action.

Earth Day Survey

How will you make an impact on Earth Day? Check out the DOE website for some great ideas.

Answer the survey question below and we will report your answers in the May STEMinist.
Academy Alumnae in the Spotlight!
Marigold Lewi a Maryland 2021 STEM Leadership Academy Alumnae, was featured on Exelon's Twitter feed. She chose Susan McKinney as her "Women in STEM" Role model.
Who would you chose?
Check out Grace Pattara's, Chicago 2021 STEM Leadership Academy Alumnae, video that Exelon shared in a tweet.
STEM Academy Leadership in Practice
Lili Lusvardi, Philadelphia 2021 STEM Leadership Academy Alumnae, hosted two different activities, one in October and one in January, using material she learned in the STEM Leadership Academy. You can see that the participants learned how to make circuits and wind machines.
MEET Sarah Cooperman

My name is Sarah Cooperman, Philadelphia 2021 STEM Leadership Academy Alumnae, and I am a member of the Exelon STEM Leadership Academy’s year-long mentee program. I was thrilled to have an opportunity to speak to girls in the fourth through eighth grade as part of the STEM GEMS Afterschool Program this past Tuesday. STEM GEMS, a book authored by Stephanie Espy, strives to engage middle school girls in STEM.  The book, in-turn, inspired Exelon employee, Amber Perry, to create, plan and organize annually the after-school program at the Cardinal Shehan School in Baltimore, Maryland.  I presented at Cardinal Shehan School's Afterschool Program to support STEM GEMS’ mission of encouraging middle school girls to pursue STEM studies and careers.
 
The session began with a discussion of the opportunities at Exelon’sweeklong STEM Leadership Academy. I was able to explain the format of the program, explain the opportunities we had to meet with actual STEM professionals, and how I was able to make connections with other young women like myself who want to pursue STEM. I also shared some of my personal STEM experiences and inspirations. 
 
In addition, I presented a short scientific experiment with the girls. We electrically charged pieces of scotch tape and observed which pieces attracted and which pieces repelled. We discussed how there is an electron transfer to a charged tape that causes it to repel the other tape.
 
The students asked wonderful questions and had stories of their own to tell. We shared our favorite lab activities in science class, and I was impressed to learn that some of the students had already dissected a pig.
 
I’d like to thank Ms. Roshae Jones, teacher at Cardinal Shehan, and the students for generously welcoming me into their session and for being a wonderful, attentive audience.  I am so happy I was given the chance to speak with these students and to shed some light on what is possible in STEM.  Hopefully many of these girls will become Exelon STEM Leadership Academy students themselves in the near future.
Coming Soon to Exelon Foundation's STEM Leadership Academy
Bridget Jones is the Founding Sister of Smart Sister Finance and she believes strongly that money confidence unlocks your life choices. Bridget had a winding career that included working at the Goodman Theatre, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Clif Bar, Potbelly Sandwich Works and Whole Foods Market. She now uses her experience to coach women on their personal finances and start-up businesses. Follow Smart Sister Finance on Instagram and LinkedIn to learn more! Bridget will present two Finance events one in May (Financial Goals and Budgets) and one in June (Credit Scores and Credit Cards).
Financial Goals and Budgets

Join Smart Sister Finance on May 4, 2022 to learn how to reach your financial goals through budgeting. 
We will use actual salaries from STEM careers and each participant will build a monthly budget.
We will discuss different ways to budget and discuss how to plan for:
  • Renting an apartment vs buying a house
  • Buying or leasing a car
  • Paying for kids 
June 14, 2022
Career Chat with Oluwaseyi Olaleye, CEO and Founder of Organic Harvest Digital
Olu was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. At the age of five, he emigrated to the South Shore neighborhood on the Southside of Chicago. Olu attended and graduated as valedictorian from Gary Comer College Prep. He received his degree B.S in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University. Currently, Olu is the founder and CEO of Organic Harvest Digital; he is an entrepreneur, food advocate and Afro-futurist!
Behold the Power of Cheese
Earth Day is coming quickly and we have a question for you. Have you ever wanted to create a new way to generate energy? Click below to read the full article and see how cheese manufacturers in France are generating energy from cheese.
Exelon Scholarship Winners
CONGRATULATIONS!

Monday, March 21, 2022, Exelon and NEED announced the winners of the Exelon Scholarship. The first cohort of Scholars announced the winners and welcomed the incoming scholars and gave them some advice. Paula Conrad, Justine Jentes (Exelon), Mary Spruill, Rebecca Lamb (NEED) were on-line as well to congratulate the young women.

Will you be one of the Scholars next year? Keep participating in the events that are offered, respond when asked questions, and watch for the scholarship to be announced next fall.e
Our Exelon Scholars are receiving a full ride scholarship.
They are:

Nicole Constante    University of Illinois at Chicago.                Acero Garcia High School

XiuYi Tan                 University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana  Walter Payton College Prep

Micaela Venyo         Drexel University                                      Harford Tech High School

Aditi Bhatt                University of Illinois at Chicago                Northside College Prep

Aliyana Banner        University of Pennsylvania                       Central High School

Maitri Patel               University of MD – College Park              Spring-Ford Area High School

Allegra Oledibe        University of MD – College Park              Eleanor Roosevelt High School

Emily Curran            Villanova University                                  Central Bucks East High School                                  

Tahreem Rana         University of MD – Baltimore County   Woodlawn High School
Our Exelon Finalists will be receiving a $1,000 Scholarship.
They are:

Dhruti Amin                Loyola University Chicago                 Oswego East High School

Darby Bankoski         Johns Hopkins University                   Avon Grove High School

Arianna Burkes          Iowa State University                          Plainfield East High School

Grace Zeman             Knox College                                      Bureau Valley High School

Mariam Conde           University of North Carolina at Charlotte      Aberdeen High School

Hailey Chawla            University of MD – College Park         Wheaton High School

Carolyn Lee                University of MD – College Park        Richard Montgomery High School

Samantha Mondragon    University of Hartford                     Kennett High School

Laura Orland              Cornell University                               William Tennent High School

Julianna Longo           University of Michigan – Ann Arbor   Geneva Community High School
Scholarships!!!
If you're a current high school or college student, it's time to take advantage of scholarships to pay for college! We've compiled a list of scholarships to share with our students. These include scholarships specifically for STEM students, scholarships from Exelon operating companies and partners, and other external scholarships. ⬇️ 
ComEd Future of Energy Scholarship

The Future of Energy Scholarship provides young adults with up to $10,000 in a scholarship designed to be use towards college tuition and related expenses. The top three to four applicants will also receive an internship offer, pending successful completion of the hiring process. Applicants must be from the ComEd service territory.

Applications are open until April 8.
Hydropower Foundation Scholarship
Are you, or anyone you know, interested in the hydropower industry? This scholarship is for you!

All materials, including transcript must be emailed to [email protected], by April 15.
BP University Sophomore Experience Program 2022
Trading & Shipping - Sophomore Experience Program 2022

Do you have a strong interest in financial markets and trading? Are you interested in a career in energy? If your answer to any of these questions is yes, the Sophomore Experience program may be the perfect blend of your interests and an opportunity to learn about careers within Trading & Shipping at bp. This program is designed exclusively for university students expected to graduate between December 2023 - June 2024 and gives a deep dive into the world of commodity trading in the energy industry.

The virtual Sophomore Experience Program will start on Monday, June 6th through Thursday June 16th, 2022. The sessions will run 11:00AM – 1:00PM CST, Monday through Thursday.
Spotlighting Women In Nuclear through
Women’s History in STEM & Nuclear
U.S. Women in Nuclear (U.S. WIN) is an organization of women and men who work in nuclear energy and technology fields. Our vision is aimed at positioning the United States for the future of nuclear energy and technology through the advancement of women.

U.S. WIN’s objectives are to:
  • Drive a culture in nuclear energy and technology in which women and men succeed
  • Create professional development and networking opportunities for career advancement
  • Enhance understanding and awareness of the value of nuclear energy and technology

Apply for the 2022 NEED Youth Energy Leadership Award!
Exelon and our operating companies are sharing fun updates on social media! Be sure to keep in touch and follow us:

Exelon Foundation STEM Leadership Academy www.exelonstemacademy.org