STEM Starter Academy

by Olivia Appleton

A career that encourages experimentation, teamwork, and creativity can all be possible by going into STEM. Science, technology, engineering, and math make up the branches of STEM. Careers in STEM can include engineers, biologists, network administrators, architects, and many more.

For 4C’s students entering the STEM field, the STEM Starter Academy (SSA) initiative offers pathways to navigate the STEM field. Its main goal is to graduate community college students into earning STEM certificates, transferring, or entering the workforce.

“Anyone can join SSA by attending one of our events,” said Bridget Burger, director of the academy. The upcoming events are posted in the academy’s Moodle page. Events include transfer trips, film festivals, and STEM Club meetings. Videos of these events are also posted in the academy’s Moodle page. The academy also hosts a weekly virtual speaker series called Navigating STEM. This series mainly focuses on academic and career success in STEM. It is held each Tuesday from 7-8 p.m.

“We also offer Success Coaching, a STEM mentor program, plus we offer scholarships each semester,” Burger said. There is also a Summer Bridge program for transferring students. This means that their transition to the four-year school will be supported by scholarships.

“The SSA scholarship would always appear at a time of need and would bring me a lot of relief in not having to worry about coming up with the money I still owed at the end of the semester,” said David Athamni, a current 4C’s nursing student. “The STEM Starter program has helped me a significant amount in chasing my dreams and goals.”

“SSA is for anyone majoring in or even just interested in STEM, and STEM includes many majors you may not realize are STEM-- like all of the health sciences, cybersecurity, IT, construction technology, as well as the traditional sciences, math, and engineering,” Burger said. “We have a great program, and we are here to provide that extra support. Everyone is welcome and I hope more students decide to join us!”

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