The BEYA (Becoming Everything You Are) STEM Conference, where hundreds of college and pre-college-aged students come together to gain wisdom from peers and mentors, took place this year at the Baltimore Convention Center.
Various seminars were conducted, which included a career fair of reputable businesses such as Lockheed Martin and Northrup Grumman.
These segments held interesting seminars, such as one about AI and technology, one about managing finances, and a slew of other pre-college advice segments.
The BEYA Conference helps to lift minority voices, aspiring to launch them into STEM careers with events catered toward their specific needs and goals. It is co-hosted by Career Communications Group (CCG), USBE Magazine, and the HBCU Engineering Deans Council.
Once a participant in the CCG summer internship, I was honored to be invited to attend this conference, knowing that through networking, this could be where I could make valuable connections that could last a lifetime.
Starting with my arrival: when I first stepped into the convention center, I was captivated by the bustling energy of the business-focused Black and Brown students. As I stood in observance, I was full of curiosity about the events that would take place later. Not to mention being enthralled by the learning atmosphere present in the convention center.
I was nervous initially, I will admit, but as the day went on and I sat with mentors, I could feel the nerves subsiding as I attended the events I had been registered for that day.
I attended a sit-down at the Pre-College Roundtable, which I thought would be beneficial despite already being in college. One is never too old to learn new tips, especially coming down to the wire as a third-year student.
At this roundtable, the student mentor I met discussed work-life balance and gave her best tips on studying, and about mental health, which I always find to be important. I walked away from the roundtable feeling as if I learned a thing or two from my peers and the student mentor.
In the Pre-College Exhibit section, I got to network with more college mentors, such as a pair of twins Joy and Hope Págan, who spoke about their life in the news world and being professional anchor interns for BEYA. Their accomplishments were as inspiring as that of their coworker, Moriah Bowman, who spoke of her dream job working in a pharmacy and had an inspiring message for young Black women in STEM:
“Remember your worth as a Black woman, and keep working ten times as hard.”
Bowman also spoke about facing challenges with resilience and gave me advice on perseverance in the field of STEM, which she concluded was probably the hardest challenge of all.
The D9 (the Divine Nine of Black Sororities and Fraternities) were invited to participate in the BEYA STEM Conference pre-college sector. Learning about some of the significant contributions of D9 members in STEM opened my eyes to the excellent contributions of Black people.
- They include Alpha Phi Alpha’s Garrett Morgan, the engineer of the traffic light, Alpha Kappa Alpha’s Gladys West, the inventor of the GPS and astronaut Dr. Mae Jeminson, alongside several other honorable mentions such as Kappa Alpha Psi’s Dr. Bernard Harris, the first African American man to walk in space.
- To continue, Omega Phi Psi has Dr. Ronald McNair, an astronaut who died in the Space Challenger, Dr. Charles Drew, who discovered blood transfusions, and Phi Beta Sigma’s inventor George Washington Carver.
- Of Zeta Phi Beta there is Marjorie Joyner, the first black woman to receive a patent. Lastly, one should mention Delta Sigma Theta’s Joan Higginbotham, a former astronaut and accomplished engineer at NASA.
It is important to recognize each of these achievements of the coveted D9 as they have paved the way for Black people in STEM, continuing to inspire more and more black people each day.
The D9 in STEM contributions to the BEYA STEM Conference specifically included one company’s collaboration with Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA).
Chair member of STEMcx Sandra Adams participated in the D9 in STEM in partnership with the Epsilon Omega chapter of AKAs.
The STEMcx organization is a part of the Transforming Lives Community Development Corporation, a 501c3 in Baltimore. They raise funds to help young people, parents, and teachers attend events such as the BEYA STEM Conference.
Adams offered insights about the BEYA STEM Conference and STEMcx. She also spoke about the joy of working with young kids and high schoolers to inspire interest in science, engineering, and math.
STEMcx, in collaboration with the church, helps students partake in hands-on opportunities, including field trips and even specialized tutoring, so that they can “improve their grades and unlock confidence,” especially in more difficult subjects.
Adams explained that on their website, STEMcx.org, there are plentiful examples of what the company does to lead and help students build a community. This may include students who finish internships in college and come back to tutor the kids currently in the STEMcx program.
“Kids in the Black community think that STEM is something they can’t do,” says Adams. “So, STEMcx spends time helping them think that they can and that it is fun to do.”
After a luncheon and a revisit to the career fair, I expanded upon my knowledge of some of the businesses that were present. Although the conference has been in the spotlight recently because military recruiters pulled out after executive orders required federal contractors to certify that they don’t promote DEI, it is still an experience I encourage young Black and Brown people to participate in. I remain incredibly grateful and honored to have visited the BEYA STEM Conference.
