Friends promote STEM careers for young people
The Aviation Youth Empowerment Foundation has established a first-ever Bessie Coleman Aerospace Legacy Scholarship of $ 4,000 for science, technology, engineering, and math students in urban settings, which also honors the first black woman who has received a private pilot certificate. The funds can be used for lessons, books, tools, or other resources, said founder, private pilot, and Cessna 150 owner Nathan Rix, who is based at Pearson Field in Vancouver, Washington.
The first grant application closed in late March, but the group is considering additional grants in the near future as the aerospace industry is notified. The maximum price per student is $ 4,000. The foundation’s goal is to fund 20 scholarships in California, Oregon, and Washington by 2023.
Rix said he hopes the funds will empower youth from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds to pursue STEM careers through their exposure to aviation.
Rix said he first observed an educational gap among New York City youth while serving as an educator for Teach for America in the Bronx. He promised to make changes to open the youth’s eyes to new frontiers, so he recruited a diverse cadre of Companions to help build the Aviation Youth Empowerment Foundation’s scholarship program.
“We four friends on the board all share a common interest in aviation. We are truly all volunteers and we all want to do more to diversify the aerospace industry as a whole, ”he said. “We are helping students and others entering college get the funding they need and we are providing mentors with people who are already there,” he added.
Rix, who now lives and works in Portland, Oregon, recruited engineer, project manager, and transportation expert Jennifer “Jen” Lopez Ibrahim; Career aviator, pilot recruiter, and community volunteer, Luke Abare; and urban policy planner, land use expert and specialist in public administration Southisone “Sou” Souvanny Garner. Collectively, their experiences span dozens of potential flight, aviation management, and airport jobs that young people can pursue as careers once they are aware of the opportunities. Making the leap from high school to college can be tough for even the brightest minority students, Rix said.
Rix said that he and the other members of the board of trustees either lacked the funds to run aviation when they were younger or that in their quest for a professional STEM career, they “haven’t seen many people look like this “. He reiterated that the Foundation aims to change “exposure levels” for young people to include STEM options that open the door to careers in the aerospace industry.
“Two more things help us stand out,” added Rix. “We rely on listening to women and people of color who are already in the STEM fields so that we can better understand the biggest challenges they face. and we urge companies to think more about inclusion. Some companies haven’t really thought about how to diversify their workforce. So we want to have these conversations – and then support them beyond that – by speaking to students who have already gone through the programs. We want to help companies find these gems. “