Two Emmanuel Students Selected as STEM Scholars
November 10, 2009
Emmanuel's Erina Depina '13 and Nicole Robinson '13 have been selected to the Colleges of the Fenway (COF) STEM Scholars Program for the 2009-2010 school year. They represent two of nine first-year students selected to the new program, made possible by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The program is aimed at supporting local students committed to majoring in science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics (STEM) at one of the six colleges in the Colleges of the Fenway consortium. Each recipient is awarded an annual scholarship of up to $6,500. Robinson and Depina, both biology majors, took part in intensive academic preparation activities in August along with their fellow scholars and will receive academic support and mentoring from faculty throughout their four years at Emmanuel.
"The most beneficial thing about this program is the help from my mentor, [Assistant Professor of Biology] Dr. Todd Williams," said Depina. "He will lead me on the pathway to achieving my goals by making sure I start now, as a freshman, and not when I am a senior."
As a part of the STEM Scholars Program, students are required to maintain a 3.0 grade point average as well as participate in multiple group events, including a kick-off dinner that took place on September 24th with faculty, academic administrators, parents and keynote speaker Dan Worth from the National Association of Environmental Law Societies, who praised students' interests in the STEM fields. The scholars will meet regularly throughout each semester to share insights and to learn about non-traditional careers in STEM-related fields, particularly those in demand in the local area.
"I believe I will benefit most from the STEM Scholars Program by having the motivation to maintain a high grade point average, and I'll have the help of my mentor if needed," said Robinson. "Being a pre-med major is very challenging and there might be times of doubt, but I believe with the STEM Scholars Program it will keep me on track, right where I belong."
