ACS Scholar Caiden Golder (right), a chemistry major at the University of Texas at Dallas, explains his research to his scholarship sponsor, Dr. William Carroll. Caiden has ties to the Munsee-Delaware Nation.
Courtesy of ACS Scholars Program
The ACS Scholars Program and Nancy Jackson Scholarship
acs.org
The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a leading champion of students in chemistry who use their academic skills to make the world a better place. The mission of ACS is “to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and its people,” and the ACS Scholars Program is a shining example of the society’s work.
The initiative awards renewable scholarships to undergraduate students from historically underrepresented groups in the chemical sciences who are majoring in chemistry-related disciplines and intending to pursue chemistry-related careers. Recipients selected for this opportunity are awarded $5,000 per academic year as they work toward their degrees.
The esteemed ACS Scholars Program became even more prestigious last year with an endowment to honor the late Dr. Nancy B. Jackson, an all-around pioneer for diversity and the first Indigenous president of ACS. Dr. Jackson received the AISES Professional of the Year Award in 2005 and was a fierce advocate for science education for underrepresented students, especially those at tribal colleges. When she passed away in 2022, her family established an annual scholarship in her name.
Over $1 million in ACS scholarship funds are awarded to 300 to 350 students annually, and more than 4,000 students have received funding and support. Black, Indigenous, Latina/o/x, and Hispanic high school seniors or college students in their first year, sophomores, and juniors pursuing a degree in the chemical sciences are eligible for consideration. To learn more about the program and the Nancy B. Jackson Scholarship, visit the ACS Scholars home page at acs.org/education/acs-scholars.html.
Mary Bet Dobson is senior director of Individual Giving and Gift Planning at ACS. She works with donors seeking to make a difference through their philanthropy.
Please tell us more about Dr. Nancy Jackson.
Nancy served as president of the American Chemical Society in 2011 and was a celebrated chemical security expert. She took an unconventional path toward her many science successes, initially pursuing political science in college before changing her major to chemistry. An important mentor recognized Nancy’s promise, and after leaving school briefly, she earned her PhD. A decades-long career at Sandia National Laboratories led to many distinguished roles, including founder of Sandia’s International Chemical Threat Reduction Department in its Global Security division. She was a mentor and advocate for many students, including those from Indigenous backgrounds. I highly recommend reading more about her life, legacy, and impact.
This year, ACS will select its second recipient of the Nancy B. Jackson Scholarship. Who was the first?
Robert O. Silzer, an accomplished student of Cherokee descent, was named the inaugural Nancy B. Jackson ACS Scholar in 2022. He is now a chemistry major at Duke University. At Central High School in Little Rock, Ark., Robert had the opportunity to conduct chemistry research at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The experience clarified his interest in chemical science. After college, he hopes to build a career as a researcher in medicine or a climate-related field.
The program is rooted in the society’s core belief that the inclusion of diverse people, experiences, and ideas leads to the advancement of chemistry as a global multidisciplinary science.
Why is the support of talented students from underrepresented communities a priority for ACS?
The program is rooted in the society’s core belief that the inclusion of diverse people, experiences, and ideas leads to the advancement of chemistry as a global multidisciplinary science. We understand that our nation is faced with the challenge of producing a generation of diverse scientific leaders to tackle 21st-century challenges. At ACS, we are doing our part to increase the inclusion of Indigenous scholars and students from other underrepresented communities in the chemical sciences.
Do you have any guidance for readers who want to apply to be an ACS Scholar?
We welcome applications from Winds of Change readers who are college students with aspirations in the chemical sciences. We do our best to make the process accessible. Students can watch a video that ACS Program Manager Mahalia Randle created to provide helpful tips for streamlining the application process. I also encourage people to read some of the incredible success stories of previous scholars that are posted on our website.
Dr. Jackson’s story is so inspiring. How can people contribute to support her legacy as well as future ACS Scholars from underrepresented communities?
Gifts to the ACS Scholars Program in Nancy’s honor can be made online through the ACS website. We also offer tools and resources for donors who would like to make a legacy gift. For more information, including how to establish a scholarship, I can be reached at donate@acs.org.
Courtesy of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Get Ready to Soar: STEM Education with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
llnl.gov
At the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), their mission is to make the world a safer place. The lab’s experts lead the nation in stockpile science and deliver solutions for the country’s most challenging security problems.
How do they do it? The short answer: science. For more than 60 years, the northern California laboratory has applied science and technology to achieve breakthroughs for counterterrorism and nonproliferation, defense and intelligence, energy, and environmental security.
True to the proud LLNL legacy, the employee resource group known as AIAG (American Indian Activities Group) champions science. The group supports STEM education for Indigenous students through a combination of outreach, awards, and promoting Native American culture at LLNL and in local communities. One main attraction of AIAG’s efforts is the Soaring Eagles program to bring STEM awareness and learning to middle school and high school students, mostly in the Greater Bay Area.
AIAG Chair Darlene Yazzie pitched her idea for Soaring Eagles and received the green light to launch the initiative in 2020. It was a huge success from the start, with pilot activities such as a tour of the laboratory’s National Ignition Facility (NIF), the world’s largest and highest-energy laser. Middle and high school students from the Intertribal Friendship House of Oakland saw NIF up close and met Native American LLNL employees who play key roles in science and technology at LLNL.
LLNL is primarily funded by the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. AIAG is one of the lab’s 11 employee resource groups that seek to develop, sustain, and enhance a diverse and inclusive workforce through recruitment, mentoring, and networking. Through Soaring Eagles, AIAG is working with community organizers to be sure internships and other opportunities are made available to students as they progress in their studies. For more information, contact aiag-info@llnl.gov.
Darlene Yazzie began working in computer technology at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in 1991. Born in the Navajo Nation in northwestern New Mexico, she was thrilled to meet her first Native colleague — and together they reignited an employee resource group that had become inactive. That was the official restart of the lab’s American Indian Activity Group (AIAG) in 1993, and Darlene still serves in a leadership role.
What was your motivation for organizing Soaring Eagles?
I am very proud of my heritage, and sharing STEM awareness with Native American middle schoolers and high school students has always been a desire of mine. My motto is “planting the seed,” and that is what we do with Soaring Eagles — plant the seed with kids so they see all kinds of possibilities, and their potential grows in a way that can change their lives.
Please tell us about your vision for the program and its impact.
My vision is for Soaring Eagles to benefit the Greater Bay Area American Indian community as a powerful partner in encouraging youth to stay in school, take STEM and other college-bound classes, and pursue STEM professions. Even with tens of participants a year, a successful program of this kind could help increase the number of American Indians in STEM programs by 10 or 20 percent.
My motto is “planting the seed,” and that is what we do with Soaring Eagles — plant the seed with kids so they see all kinds of possibilities.
What other kinds of activities do you offer through Soaring Eagles?
Other Soaring Eagles highlights have included special tours of our Discovery Center, a state-of-the-art facility that students really get excited about when they see it. We also organize panel discussions where students can talk with LLNL employees who offer insights and advice based on their experience. It’s very important for young people to meet adults who can serve as role models, especially in STEM fields. Fortunately, we had the agility to go virtual during COVID, and we’re excited to have more on site tours coming up.
What more can you tell us about working at LLNL and its support of Native employees?
The lab is very committed to all of its employees, including those of us who are Native. Soon after we started AIAG, they supported me in bringing World War II Navajo code talkers to LLNL — three veterans who took part in every assault the U.S. Marines conducted in the Pacific, transmitting messages in the Navajo language so the Japanese could never break our code. The lab is also very active in recruiting American Indian students for STEM roles. I would encourage Winds of Change readers to consider the kind of rich career they could have here.
Courtesy of Girls Who Invest
Girls Who Invest
girlswhoinvest.org
Even if you think you’re not especially interested in business and finance, you might want to take a look at this program. Girls Who Invest (GWI) is a nonprofit dedicated to transforming the investment management industry. The organization’s mission is firmly rooted in the current reality of an industry challenged by a lack of gender diversity. Only 1 percent of financial advisors across asset classes identify as women. GWI’s programs cultivate the inclusion and advancement of students who self-identify as women and gender nonbinary through education, mentoring, internships, and a supportive community.
Nearly 1,900 scholars have participated in GWI’s Summer Intensive Program (SIP) and Online Intensive Program (OIP) since 2016.
The 11-week Summer Intensive Program for college sophomores begins with four weeks of instruction on core finance and investment principles delivered by nationally renowned business school professors. Following the academic portion of the program, each participant is placed in a paid internship where they gain seven weeks of real-world experience at a leading investment firm. Throughout, scholars are mentored by seasoned industry professionals. GWI offers free room, board, and meals for on-campus portions of the program.
The Online Intensive Program is a self-paced learning experience for first-year and sophomore college students to learn core finance and investment concepts at their own pace. The program has a structured six-month timeline that offers flexibility for participants to concurrently hold jobs or internships. Graduates earn a certificate of completion from GWI as well as from educational partners — who in the past have included CFA Institute, Wall Street Prep, and Wharton Online.
Ariana Clark (top) and Hadley Krzyske (bottom) were among over 200 students who participated in the 2022 GWI Summer Intensive Program. Ariana is a Brown University computer science major with a concentration in Critical Native American and Indigenous studies. Hadley is pursuing a dual degree in honors finance and economics at Michigan State University’s Eli Broad College of Business. While Ariana and Hadley applied to GWI for different reasons — and each had their own unique experience — both emerged with valuable insights for their education and careers.
Why did you decide to apply for the GWI Summer Intensive Program, and how does it fit with your education?
Ariana: My regular coursework is focused on a combination of computer science and Indigenous Studies, so it was a little outside the expected path for me. That’s part of what attracted me to the program. I’m a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation, and I’m always open to new experiences with a diverse group of people. The fact that the program was financed by Girls Who Invest, along with the paid internship, was also a big draw. I had the coursework and technical skills to jump into this kind of opportunity, so I submitted my application and it happened!
Hadley: As a finance and economics major, I already had a great deal of interest in investing, and I lead our Student Investment Association on campus at Michigan State. GWI really spoke to me and my goals as soon as I heard about it. I especially liked the idea that it was more than just an internship: it was a chance to get some amazing academic instruction from leading business school professors as well as investment pros, then dive in as an intern. I’m always up for a new challenge and this one really seemed right for me.
You both had interesting internship placements. What are a few of the highlights?
Ariana: My internship was in New York, where I worked as an asset management global liquidity summer analyst at JP Morgan Chase. Before Girls Who Invest, I had coding experience and an interest in economics, but no finance background. I didn’t know what asset management was, so the internship really broke new ground for me. I had the chance to apply my coding in a very different way and learned all about assets and how to invest them. I was immersed in trading and management practices. The biggest highlight was definitely networking with people throughout the company. I made connections I know I will keep.
Hadley: My assignment was in San Francisco as a summer analyst for KKR & Co. Inc., a global investment firm. I did a lot of work on their leveraged credit portfolio — analyzing industry trends, building financial models, and identifying actionable investments. I learned about different industries as well as various approaches to investing. They had me write an in-depth earnings report, which was a first for me. Overall, it opened my eyes to how big the realm of investment is. One of the biggest things is that I was treated like an analyst, not some outside intern. I was in the meetings and took on assignments like everyone else; I was part of the team.
How did your GWI experience influence your educational and career paths, and what did you most appreciate about it?
Ariana: There is so much about the experience I am grateful for, from the freedom to focus on learning during the first part of the summer to the internship that opened new doors for me. I really pushed myself in the best of ways and gained new confidence in my abilities. That strong sense of myself — as well as the new people I met who are still in my life — will stay with me moving forward.
Hadley: While I expected the program would be great, I had no idea how meaningful it would be. I came into it knowing I loved markets and investment, but my internship reinforced that passion so much. The summer was impactful from day one, and it became more meaningful with every new task and experience. Now I know there’s a big world of finance out there for me, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
WHY SHOULD I APPLY?Incoming GWI Scholar Rochelle Boykin, a member of the Karuk Tribe of California, says that as a first-generation, low-income student, she felt out of place attending an Ivy League institution. “That feeling followed me when I started thinking about corporate finance and investment management,” she explains. “Applying to firms with no experience brought up anxiety for me, and that’s when I decided to apply to Girls Who Invest. GWI was the only internship I applied to with confidence because I knew they would value me as an applicant, and I could thrive if they gave me a chance.”
Courtesy of Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine
SPRINTS Programs, Kansas State UniversityCollege of Veterinary Medicine
k-state.edu
Most of us who love animals will agree: we love their doctors too. The pets and other animals we know make us smile and behave like better humans, and veterinarians help keep our four-legged relatives healthy and happy. These professionals are also in high demand. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for veterinarians is projected to grow 19 percent through 2031, faster than the average for other occupations.
So what does it take to be a vet? The College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University (K-State) can help you find out through SPRINTS, its Specialized Programs for the Recruitment of Indigenous, Native, and Tribal Students initiative. High school and college students who identify as tribal, Native American, or Indigenous and want to learn about veterinary medicine firsthand are eligible for SPRINTS. Participants are exposed to different aspects of veterinary careers and assigned mentors with experience in veterinary school and practice. They also receive financial assistance for registration, lodging, and travel costs to attend the annual Vet Med Rocks summer camp.
Students who complete the SPRINTS program and would like to apply to the Kansas State University doctor of veterinary medicine program will have their application fees waived and receive tailored guidance from staff on the admissions process. The four-year doctorate program includes three years of pre-clinical classroom instruction followed by one year of clinical training in the Veterinary Health Center.
The Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine is one of only six veterinary schools in the nation to be honored with the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award for its commitment to diversity and inclusion. For more information about K-State’s programs, email admit@vet.k-state.edu.
Hana Johnson is a K-State graduate and recruiting coordinator for the school’s veterinary programs.
What should prospective students know about the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine?
We’ve been here since 1905, which makes us one of the oldest veterinary colleges in the country to offer a doctor of veterinary medicine degree. Our faculty and staff are deeply committed to our students and preparing them for successful careers. We are fully accredited by the Council on Education of the American Veterinary Medical Association, and the pass rate for our graduates taking the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination is 99 percent.
What kinds of careers do your DVM graduates pursue?
We see graduates succeed in all kinds of career paths, from small-town veterinary practices to national parks careers with large animals like elk or even exotic animals like pythons or flamingos. There are also specialties such as cardiology, epidemiology, and dentistry. The job market for veterinary doctors is generally promising, so graduates usually end up in roles they find both interesting and meaningful.
Graduates usually end up in roles they find both interesting and meaningful.
In addition to the SPRINTS initiative for prospective veterinary students, there’s also the SPARK program. Can you tell us about that?
SPARK is our Summer Program for Aspiring Rural Kansas veterinarians. It’s a daylong immersive experience for students who may be interested in rural veterinary practice. Participants shadow veterinarians in rural communities so they can see what it’s like to practice in a remote setting with its unique challenges and rewards. Ideal applicants for SPARK are interested in working with large animals in rural communities and thinking of applying to our DVM program.
What are the DVM admissions requirements at K-State, and what are the selection criteria?
We’re looking for people with a genuine interest in veterinary medicine, as well as critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills. In addition to caring about animals, it’s important for vets to have people skills too. Students are selected based on a variety of factors, including animal and veterinary experience, academic grade point average, success in STEM subjects and courses like biology, letters of recommendation, and interviews. We look at the whole student and their aspirations, and ultimately their chances of completing the program and contributing as committed veterinary professionals.