Well, first of all, I wanna give honor to all of these wonderful, wonderful founders of the BEYA program, these generals and admirals that are on stage with 'em. Can we give them a big hand clap and celebrate them? And to all of the generals and the leaders out in the audience? I'm going to try my best to stay on task because, uh, I'm a Black preacher with a microphone and I'm from South Carolina. Can we pretend just for about the next 10 minutes that we had a Black church here in the South? Can somebody say yes to that?
To my white brothers and sisters that are here, I'm going to make it to where you'll never ever wanna go back to your church ever again after tonight. But I am Dr. Mark Burns and it's an honor to be here. I am blown out of my mind to see the level of excellence that is happening here in BEYA. I'm actually ashamed, having spent 10 years with President Donald Trump before he became the 45th and 47th president of the United States of America. I had no idea that BEYA existed. I had been walking in the halls trying to hold back tears, looking at the Blacks and the Whites and the Hispanic, the yellow, to realize that in America, it doesn't really matter what color you are. If you bleed the red, the white and blue of America, you are an American citizen and you have power to transform our society.
Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests and fellow members of the BEYA STEM community. Today, as we gather as family of innovators, educators, leaders representing nearly 16,000 voices across academia, industries and government, we stand at a pivotal point, a moment in history. We come together not just as individuals, but as architects of tomorrow, united in a purpose to pursue excellence and a commitment to strengthen America's future. If you believe it, say yes to that. If you believe that we are here to reshape America's history, shout yes to that. This is why we're here. As President Ronald Reagan so eloquently reminded us, the greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things, but he is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things. These words capture the essence of true leadership and the power of empowering others to achieve excellence.
That's the spirit of BEYA – that you may receive power. The Bible says like this: "My people perish for a lack of knowledge." Let me share a story that I believe embodies the power of unity in our community. My mind recalls Dr. Mae Jemison, an engineer and physician by training. She made history three decades ago when she became the first woman of color to travel in space during the 1992 mission aboard the space shuttle Endeavour. She stood where we are standing right now, breaking barriers, not just as an astronaut, but as a testament to what happens when purpose meets determination. She didn't just reach for the stars. No, she showed us that when we support each other, we can achieve the impossible. In these challenging times, we are facing uncertainties.
Resources may dwindle, workloads may increase, doubt may even creep in. Yet as Maya Angelou reminds us, she said, “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.” Today, I want you to feel proud. I want you to feel empowered. I want you to feel united in our mission. America's greatness has never been measured by individual achievements, but by our collective strength. Our purpose as a nation is very clear. What is our purpose? To lead globally, to innovate relentlessly, to maintain the beacon of democracy that shines brightest. When we stand together—somebody shout together—somebody shout together!
But unity isn't just a concept. It is a choice. Dr. Taborn, it is a choice that we choose to make every day when we mentor a student. And I was so impressed to see all of the sea of students that was on the stage. And I'm texting every White House leader. I'm letting them know that there is power and there is magic that is happening here in Baltimore. I'm letting every federal agency know that there is something special that is happening right here. For 39 years. I don't need your amens. I'll preach all by myself 'cause I know what I'm saying is true. I'm letting everybody know there's a 9-1-1 cry that is happening and I refuse to stand by and watch something that has been standing for 39 years to lose. No, we will not lose.
We shall win. Somebody say, we shall win. I wish you would help me out for a split second. Just shout: we shall win! There is more to overcome. There's more to achieve. There's more to go. I was amazed as I'm looking at the students that are here from all over the United States of America—Black students, White students, Asian students, Hispanic students—coming together and telling me their dreams and goals, and I'm shocked when they're declaring they want to be in aerodynamics or aerospace engineering. And I'm saying to myself, God, why didn’t you give me those kinds of brains when I was that young? For those of you who don't know, I faithfully served in the South Carolina Army National Guard—Army leads the way! I was infantry, 11 Bravo, Fort Benning, Georgia. I wasn’t smart enough to get anything other than the infantry!
That's not a knock to us ground pounders, because infantry leads the way! Hooah! But I'm texting chief of staff, I’m texting the president, I’m texting everybody I can get ahold of. I’m saying there's a 9-1-1 cry. It is an injustice. It is borderline evil to see all these great young men and women and all these generals that volunteer their time, admirals that volunteer their time, leaders of industry that are here right now, and they volunteer their time with the whole agenda—not to grow themselves, not to be selfish with the wisdom that they’ve received, but to turn back and go back to those and make it easier for them to go through the doors that they had to bust down a long time ago. I believe change is about to come.
I don’t care whether you are Democrat or Republican—I care less. This is about the power of this nation when we celebrate each other's success regardless of our backgrounds, regardless of our party, regardless of our color, our creed, our sex. When we get to a place and celebrate each other, we choose unity. As leaders in the STEM community, I own one of the very few Black-owned IT companies that develop mobile apps. And I don’t talk about it that often, but I’m so proud. After four years and 17 developers, we’re the heart of the STEM operation. We know how important it is that STEM grows, that we cultivate the next engineers. And I spoke to so many of these young children, these students that are here, and I said, “You’re probably going to be the ones to send us to Mars.”
I believe that as leaders of the STEM community, we have a unique responsibility. We don’t just develop technology—we shape society. We don’t just conduct research—we create possibilities. We don’t just teach—we transform lives. So what does unity look like in our daily actions? It looks like the engineer who mentors the high school student and shows them that their dreams are within reach. That was what was happening today. As I’m taking pictures of the crowd of cadets… when I was in ROTC they called us cadets… and these generals are volunteering their time, knowing there should have been a lot more generals and flag officers here. Because of politics, children are being left behind. I refuse to let that happen. I wish I had some help in the building today. Can we just clap like we’re at a Black church for five seconds?
Mentorship looks like mentoring a young boy or girl. It looks like the researcher who collaborates across disciplines in breaking down silos to advance knowledge. It looks like the corporate leader—and I'm so proud to see Lockheed Martin, Google, and all of these industry leaders that are here—who create opportunities for underrepresented groups, recognizing that innovation thrives in diverse environments. So as we move forward together—somebody shout together—let us commit to three principles:
1. Purposeful innovation.
Let us harness our collective genius to solve humanity's greatest problems—from climate change to healthcare to cybersecurity to sustainable energy.
2. Intentional mentorship.
I teach my students that the fastest way to success is through a mentor. I’m not here to be your best friend—I’m here to be your mentor. Your best friend loves you just the way you are, but your mentor loves you enough to not leave you where you are.
Let us lift as we climb. Can I say that again? Let us lift as we climb. Let us lift as we climb. Creating pathways for those behind us and those beside us.
3. United leadership.
A house divided cannot stand. Let us demonstrate that excellence knows no boundaries—no backgrounds, no ethnicities, no colors, no creeds, no disciplines.
To my fellow STEM professionals, I ask you: What will you do today to strengthen America's unity? Will you volunteer your expertise as all the generals, admirals, and corporate leaders are doing? Will you advocate for unity? Will you mentor someone who needs guidance? Remember: unity doesn’t mean uniformity. Our strength lies in our differences, our perspectives, and our experiences. As the great poet Langston Hughes wrote: “What happens to a dream deferred?”
Today, we say no dreams will be deferred. No potential will be wasted. No talent will go unnoticed. So let us stand together—somebody shout together! Let us stand together, united in our purpose, driven by our passion for excellence, and committed to making America stronger through STEM leadership. We are not just individuals. We are a movement. We are not just professionals. We are nation builders. We are not just achievers. We are legacy creators.
So my STEM professionals here today, you have an obligation. God brought me here in a short amount of time to come and show the world that this is one of the greatest achievements in modern-day history—to bring the greatest leaders from all industries—technological, military, private sector, defense contractors—to come here under one place to speak to the future and brightest minds of our nation. And so the journey is not over, but it's just beginning.
I believe something good is about to happen for BEYA. I believe that everything that has been taken away shall come back today. Not tomorrow—but now. Somebody say now. Now! God bless you all. Thank you so much. Continue to do the great work and thank you for your willingness to pour into the hearts of our future.
I'm walking around with tears in my eyes—blown away. Never experienced this in my life. Wish I'd have had a BEYA when I was growing up. And others that are behind us, I know they're saying the same thing: I wish I had a BEYA growing up. But now we have a BEYA. 39 years later, there is a BEYA. In 60 years, there’ll be a BEYA. In 100 years, there’ll be a BEYA. I believe there shall always be a BEYA.
God bless you all. Thank you all.