Graduates

Earning her GED through the Massachusetts Career Dev Institute (MCDI) in 2013, Karen later attended the 2017 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Starter Academy at Holyoke Community College. She was a member of the NSF-S-STEM scholars as well as a peer mentor for STEM, representing and inspiring underrepresented students majoring in STEM. Her passion in STEM started when she learned that mathematics holds the most imperative roles in everyday life because it is instrumental in developing problem solving and critical thinking skills. Karen is very passionate about STEM because it has inspired and founded so many new and exciting discoveries in the universe. Karen joined MassTeach to inspire future students to pursue STEM so they can also experience the possibilities that STEM offers. She strongly believes that educators are born to make a difference. Her career choice will give her the opportunity to inspire, make change, and give back to the community.

Michelle is a Holyoke Community College and NSF Scholar Alumni. She graduated from HCC in 2017 with her AS degree for Mechanical Engineering. She then transferred to Western New England University where she graduated May of 2019 with her BS in Civil Engineering. She is currently working as a Bridge Design Engineer for the Connecticut Department of Transportation. She is also a co-founder of Pioneer Valley Women in STEM. ( https://pvwis.com). "I started at HCC in 2014 as a non-traditional, first generation, liberal arts student. I was encouraged by the amazing staff to dream big and to go be an engineer! I was one of the first students to receive the NSF Scholarship. This program changed my life. I would not have been successful and be where I am today without the financial and community support from the scholarship and my fellow NSF family!"

My name is Anastasia Antropova. I'm an 18-year-old chemistry major, and I hope to become a research scientist leading a university lab. Currently, my main academic interests are sustainable organic synthesis and environmental chemistry applications.

My name is Angel Vargas. I am 20 years old. I major in computer science and I plan to pursue a career as an IT project manager. The reason why I decided to study computer science is because I feel like this is an area that is evolving more and more day by day and helping humanity in a lot of ways and I want to be part of that positive change. Some things that I am passionate about are: art and languages.

Avery Rae Maltz is a non-traditional student and is majoring in Biology. They “feel that science communication is very important because it makes research accessible so that the general public can learn about science.”

Bandon Sawabi is Filipino and a freshman majoring in mechanical engineering. “One thing that is important to me is being truthful and honest with myself. Authenticity is one's greatest triumph.”

My name is David Melanson, I'm 26 years old, and I am a graduating Engineering/Science Transfer student at HCC with the hopes of becoming a computer engineer in the future. I chose this career path after putting together my first computer piqued an interest in me.

My name is Savana Paciulli. I am a 27-year-old non-traditional student. I re-enrolled at HCC in Fall of 2019 as a Math Major. I am looking forward to pursuing a career as a Data Scientist and helping other young women discover their math capabilities despite preconceived notions they may have about math.

I study environmental science at HCC and intend on studying both biology and environmental sciences after transferring. Growing up in “the sticks” provided me a safe space to nurture my curiosity about our natural world, which I refined into an interest in better understanding how we (humans) interact with our environments. When I am not studying you can find me exploring the realms of all kinds of music, dancing at concerts, looking for frogs and salamanders, meditating, or reading my favorite books.

Hey there~! The name''s Christian Michael Perez Dela Cruz, born and raised from the Philippines. While I am a Computer Science major student, I like to extend my academic interests beyond the purview of my field. During my free time, I like collecting keyboards, building computers, and web designing. I like watching psychological, sci-fi, adventure movies. I also like reading nonfiction books. And most importantly, I dislike the spring season. Feel free to reach out to me! I check Discord the most often, but any contact method below works. * Discord: @uri * Twitter: @cmpdc * Github: @cmpdc * Email: the.cmpdc@gmail.com * Email: cdelacruz@umass.edu

I am an engineering studies major interested in moving into construction or utility civil engineering. I am super excited to be able to include my love for the outdoors with my career. The faculty and mentors here at HCC have supported me in my academic journey as I prepare for graduation and transfer to university.

I'm a chemistry major interested in combining chemistry and environmental science! I was HCC's STEM Club vice president and a Nasa Community College Aerospace Scholars (NCAS) participant. I joined the NSF Scholars to take advantage of a great opportunity to do projects based on interests and develop my skills. I am currently enrolled at UMass

My name is Bailey. My friend suggest I apply to the NSF STEM scholarship. I found that it would help me grow as a student and would help me in my goals of getting a mechanical engineering degree. I am currently enrolled at UMass.

After multiple years in leadership I decided that I wanted to make a career change and work in a STEM field. I initially joined the NSF program due to the great financial aid, but have found a great community of scholars, engaging conversation, and a support system that has helped make the challenging material we learn feel like something that I can accomplish. I am currently enrolled at Bellevue University