We are proud to announce our newest recipient of the GEM for STEM Undergraduate Scholarship, John Iluno!
John is a senior student at Indiana Institute of Technology with a major in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Mathematics. His goal is to become a Mechanical Design Engineer and help build technologies that will help mitigate the environmental and health impact of air pollution and global warming. Technologies like electric vehicles, robotics, and electric airplanes are some of my primary interests.

Please provide a brief description highlighting your work/area of focus. 
I participated in research at the Oak Ridge Laboratory. In this research, we mathematically and experimentally modeled the nonlinear response rate of dendrite formation in lithium-Ion batteries. Dendrites are one of the primary causes of short circuits in batteries—hence, they cause batteries to explode. Seeing that most all-electric vehicles use lithium-ion batteries to store electrical energy and most automotive companies are transitioning from manufacturing internal combustion engine vehicles to all-electric vehicles, I feel opportune and grateful to be part of this research. Currently, my team and I are building a robot named MART for our senior project. MART is short for a Motor-driven Adaptable Rough Terrain robot. It is a wireless controlled rough-terrain robot that is capable of maneuvering through different terrains. It also has an inbuilt quadrupled compression coil spring legs design that can make continuous jumps of over four feet.
 
If your scholarship funds HAVE NOT BEEN USED yet, how do you anticipate you will achieve success?
Robots are popularly employed in different terrains for operations in forestry, agriculture, search and rescue, hazardous site inspections, and space exploration. However, there are not many lightweight all-terrain robots capable of maneuvering through varieties of obstacles (with relatively high altitudes). Hence, there is a need for developments in this field. Students and engineers from MIT, CalTech, Stanford University, and Boston Dynamics are actively working on this area of robotics, and now my school can join the race to develop the first agile all-terrain robot. My team and I will achieve success through diligence and hard work. By applying the knowledge and skills I gained in my academic and career pursuit, I can complete the MART project next semester.

Tell us what this scholarship means to you.
This scholarship means a lot to me because it will help relieve me from the financial stress of college expenses. I am a working student and this scholarship to pay by outstanding college expenses to graduate next semester (Spring 2022)

​TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JOHN ILUNO CHECK OUT HIS LINK.

We are proud to announce our newest recipient of the GEM for STEM Undergraduate Scholarship, Alanna Massman.
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Over the last five years, Alanna has moved to many different states, traveled to four different countries and has gained endless life experiences through it all. Her passions in life include traveling the world, learning about different cultures and doing everything she can to help save the environment. She has always enjoyed spending time outdoors; from week-long camping trips to spending the little time she has left in each day lounging in her hammock. From a young age, Alanna always strived to take eco-friendly actions -- which at the time consisted of things such as recycling and taking showers. Now that she has learned so much more about our climate and the implications its facing, she prides herself on living a more sustainable lifestyle. Congratulations Alanna!

How did you hear about G.E.M. Environmental and this scholarship opportunity?
My school, Northern Arizona University, has a master list of all private donor scholarships on the financial aid page that students can apply to. After skimming the list a few times, I found that G.E.M. was the best fit for me, as I am studying Environmental and Sustainability Studies.

Your area of work/focus.
My study area in school is coined as Environmental and Sustainability Studies, which is a diverse degree within itself, as the environmental field in general is very expansive. I am also studying Spanish, as I love traveling and hope to someday find environmental work across the globe. More specifically, although I do not have one specific dream job at this point in time, I would love to work with sustainable food and agriculture systems, or as an outdoor educator. I live my life very flexibly and allow chances, opportunities and coincidences to lead me.
With that being said, although I do not know for sure what I will be doing in the future, I am lucky to say that I am conducting fulfilling work everyday with the NAU Office of Sustainability as the Conservation Manager. With this position, I help run our conservation programs, design websites for the office, and advocate for sustainability across campus. Overall, although I do not have one post-college job in mind, I am forever thankful that I get to do such rewarding work as I am in college, as it is also teaching me more about myself and what I want to do in the future.
 
If your scholarship funds HAVE NOT BEEN USED yet, how do you anticipate you will achieve success?
My scholarship funds have not been used yet, as I am planning to use them to help pay for classes and fees for the upcoming Fall 2020 semester. As I'm sure many people have experienced, COVID-19 has impacted my school, work and day-to-day plans for the foreseeable future, so receiving these funds is immensely helpful moving forward.
 
Tell us what this scholarship means to you.
Receiving this scholarship most definitely helped lifted the stress of paying for the upcoming semester off my shoulders. Further, the fact that these funds came from such an amazing organization -- one that is in the environmental field -- means even more to me. I feel like often times it is hard to find scholarships specific to students in the environmental field, so yes receiving this scholarship means a lot to me.

Anything else you'd like to share about your work, yourself, or the STEM fields?
One project I have been working on for sometime in my work is "Careers with Impact." It is going to be a website, since it could no longer be an in-person event, and I think that G.E.M. would love to hear about it. It is a space for students like me who are studying within the environmental field but don't know exactly what they want to do, or even prospective students who don't know exactly if they can find a career within the environmental field. There is valuable information about the environmental filed itself, career examples under each of the three pillars of sustainability, and organizations across the globe that have opportunities for STEM Students. Everyone deserves to have a career that they love -- something I strive for. In fact, one of the main reasons I switched my major early on in my college career is because I realized that happiness is MUCH more valuable than money. So rather than working for the dollars and cents, I work for that warm, happy feeling I get in my stomach when I accomplish something or when I impact someone's life.

We are proud to announce our newest recipient of the GEM for STEM Undergraduate Scholarship, Addie Daniels.
Addie Daniels is from Chino Valley, Arizona. She enjoys music and track and field. She has been a track and field athlete since 6th grade and is currently a NCAA Division III thrower! Way to go Addie! She throws shot put, discus, hammer, weighted throw, and javelin. She likes Marvel movies, Star Trek and Sponge Bob.   Addie attends college at LeTourneau University where she is studying Civil Engineering. In her free time, she likes to...just kidding, what engineering student has free time? Addie enjoys Civil Engineering because you can see the direct impact of your work. Congratulations Addie!

How did you hear about G.E.M. Environmental and this scholarship opportunity?
I learned about it at the Dec. 2018 Cash for College event at Yavapai College.
 
My current work and passion.
This is my first year of studying Civil Engineering. I became interested in it when I took a drafting and design course as a freshman in high school. I ended up doing three years of drafting, learning AutoCAD, REVIT, Civil 3D, and Solidworks. I was able to apply my skills to projects at Chino Valley High School including new dugouts for softball and a new throwing area with three new throwing rings and sectors. Seeing these projects from dream to reality inspired me to do more. So far, in college, my favorite things in Civil have been creating a water filtration system as well as a cantilever bridge design. As I go forward, I am interested in pursuing an emphasis in water-related civil engineering.

How I plan to use my award.
I am planning on using my scholarship funds to purchase tools and equipment/software I will need as an engineer.
 
What this scholarship means to me.
Being awarded this scholarship puts me one step closer to graduating from college debt free, a major goal for me. I have always enjoyed non-traditional vocations (throwing, engineering, math) as related to being a female. I like knowing that a small percentage of Civil Engineers are women. It is important to me to demonstrate that a woman is capable of doing anything she puts her mind to.
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I hope to see many more females entering STEM fields. Thank you so much for your support!

We are proud to announce the newest recipient of the GEM for STEM Graduate Scholarship Award, Linnea Delucchi. Linnea is originally from Sacramento, California, but has spent the last five years traveling the world and exploring her interests. She graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Neurobiology, but was unsure what direction she wanted to take with her degree. She took some time off to grow and gain life experiences. During that time, Linnea hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, visited southern Europe and Eastern Canada, and lived in New Zealand for a year. She loves traveling not just for the experiences, but for the worldly knowledge gained as well. If she hadn't spent the last five years exploring, she doesn’t think she would have discovered her current passion: the effects of nature on the brain.
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STEM education has always been part of Linnea’s life and she has always loved science. She knew that she wanted to study neurobiology, but didn't know what to do with that degree once she earned it. She also loved being able to support facts with research and having concrete reasons for the way things work. Congratulations Linnea!

How did you hear about G.E.M. Environmental and this scholarship opportunity?
My roommate is an AmeriCorps Vista working for G.E.M. She knew I was currently in my Master's and that my thesis was related to STEM. So, she suggested that I apply for the graduate student scholarship because, why not?
 
Please provide a brief description highlighting your work/area of focus.
My Master's thesis will cover some subtopic of how nature affects the human brain. I love playing outside, and I also love science. This thesis topic allows me to combine my passions and explore an area that I am very interested in. I am able to use my knowledge from undergrad with my experience in the outdoors. While I have not picked a specific area of neurobiology yet, I think I will focus on the affects of nature on either stress reduction, increased relaxation, or cognitive recall. The nature aspect could be just sitting in nature or an outdoor activity. I will be designing my thesis this semester and carrying it out this summer and fall!

If your scholarship funds HAVE BEEN USED, please explain exactly how they were used or disbursed.
Part of the scholarship funds have been used. This semester, I am traveling to various labs studying nature in the brain. This scholarship is helping me cover the costs of these travel expenses.I have already been to Indiana, where I was able to use various bio and neurofeedback equipment. For example, I learned how to use an fNIR, HRV (heart rate variability) monitor, and EEG. These are all forms of equipment that can measure brain/nervous system function. I was also added to an IRB for a project that was researching the effects of being in nature on HRV responses to small stressors. For this experiment, we measured participants HRV and blood pressure before and after time spent in nature. We are still waiting for the results to be covered to data that can be analyzed.
 
If the funds HAVE BEEN USED, what was the outcome?
While we are still waiting in the HRV research data, I was able to design a practice experiment when I was in Indiana. In this experiment, people wearing an EEG watched either a cityscape video or a nature scape video. I recorded their brain waves, and found that beta waves (waves associated with stress) were increased in the city scape participants. In contrast, alpha waves (brain waves associated with relaxation) were increased in participants watching the nature video. While the participants were not immersed in real nature, analyzing the effects of visual nature is still interesting!
 
If your scholarship funds HAVE NOT BEEN USED yet, how do you anticipate you will achieve success?
I will be attending a wilderness therapy symposium in Asheville, North Carolina. Here, I will be able to learn how to use qEEGs in relation to neurofeedback. In neurofeedback, people look at their own polygraphs and see what effects certain stimuli have on their brain waves. qEEGs are becoming increasingly popular in wilderness therapy so clients are able to see what is happening in their brain when they are out in nature. By researching this, I hope to promote people spending time in nature and using the outdoors as a medicine over pharmaceuticals. As screen time and indoor time increases, people are becoming more detached and even afraid of the outdoors. I hope to help reverse this trend by helping people realize the medicinal, calming, and other benefits of nature.

Tell us what this scholarship means to you.
I have been financially independent since the middle of my undergrad. I have chosen a field (outdoor education) that is not the most lucrative, which makes paying for a Master's extremely difficult. Loans have a high interest rate and making ends meet, while attending school, is very difficult task. I have been working full-time while also being a full-time student. This leaves room for nothing else in my life. This scholarship greatly reduces the amount of financial stress I have felt since beginning my Master's. I have often chosen work over school, just to make sure I can pay for life expenses. With this scholarship, I will be able spend more time focusing on my studies and learning about the topics I am most passionate about.
 
In addition, I am proud to be a female studying science, as well as a female outdoorsy women. Both science and the outdoors are still male-dominated, so being part of both fields means a lot! I like being able to keep up with the boys, whether it is climbing, skiing, mountain biking, etc. We need more women out there!

​We are proud to announce the newest recipient of the GEM for STEM Graduate Scholarship Award, Grace Sinisalo.
Grace is 24 years old and was born and raised in Northern Minnesota. She spends most of her free time watching TV, hanging with friends and family, enjoying the fresh air & being outside, or playing fetch with her adorable one-year old puppy Winston.

​Grace first became passionate about the STEM fields in middle school when a particular teacher showed her how fun science can be and how much it can influence our everyday lives. She has always had a math/science-based mind, so working with numbers and facts has always piqued her interest. Being passionate about learning about the STEM fields, even from a young age, made her grow and excel as a student throughout all her studies. It continued into high school and later into her undergraduate degree in biology. Grace attributes her success in school and her future in medicine, to finding a love to learn through the STEM fields and the support of her teachers. Congratulations Grace!

Please provide a brief description highlighting your work/area of focus.
Right now I am an AmeriCorps volunteer serving with Arizona Serve at Yavapai County Community Health Services. My current role is as the Opioid Harm Reduction Coordinator. In this position, I work with local organizations, community members, and county and state boards in order to promote harm reduction strategies that revolve around Opioid Use Disorder. I am focused specifically on Naloxone education and distribution, destigmatization and education about Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), and improved access to MAT for pregnant women throughout Yavapai County. While working full time in this position, I am also fine tuning applications for medical school and studying to take my MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test) in order to pursue my dream of becoming a physician. From a young age, with the help of the STEM fields, I have had a passion for medicine and the healthcare field. I am honored to be working alongside health care workers in Public Health and I look forward to continuing my education in medicine.

If your scholarship funds HAVE NOT BEEN USED yet, how do you anticipate you will achieve success?
I have not had the opportunity to use my scholarship award yet as I am waiting to use it towards medical school application fees in the upcoming month. Without this money, I would be struggling to even apply for medical school because of how much it costs to apply per school. I am grateful to have this scholarship money to take the financial weight of applications off my shoulders and to focus on getting into the school I want. By becoming a physician, I will constantly be using my knowledge in the STEM fields to treat and care for patients, as well as contribute unique findings in medicine to the field of science.
 
Tell us what this scholarship means to you.
As mentioned above, I am so grateful for this scholarship and the relief of the financial burden associated with medical school application fees. To apply to medical school is expensive, but to apply as an AmeriCorps VISTA is even more detrimental on the bank account.... Without this G.E.M. scholarship, I would have difficulties even submitting an application to pursue my dream of becoming a physician.

We are proud to announce our newest recipient of the GEM Environmental Undergraduate Scholarship Award, Abigail Pezelj.

Abigail is a Junior at Arizona State University studying Chemical Engineering and Materials Science. As a Tempe local, she is very invested in the community and loves being involved in as many ways as possible; whether it be through STEM outreach, volunteering, or engineering simple solutions to public concerns. She values STEM education because it is the way to both freedom and the future. Having an understanding of the natural world, as well as how to see complex issues and create viable solutions to them, is an invaluable skill that impacts all lives.
Her main focus is on water quality engineering, specifically the intersection between chemical engineering and microbiology. She has used her passion for the field and has channeled it into an ASU EPICS project, Selleh Lake Restoration, LLC, which creates cyanobacteria-focused gravity filtration systems using our unique blend of particles. Being the founder of this company has challenged Abigail due to the science and business skills it demands; she has had to deal with customer demands, public policy, and the process of taking a product from R&D to market.
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Abigail will be using the money she receives from G.E.M. Environmental to aid in the development of her company. She is allocating the funds towards filing a patent on their design and purchasing raw material for their final-stage prototype. This will allow her company to completely scale-up the design for widespread use, without fears of their intellectual property being stolen nor a lack of building supplies. On a small scale, with the successful implementation of this project, thousands of Tempe residents will no longer be forced to live near freshwater bodies that are infiltrated with toxin-forming cyanobacteria. Local schoolchildren will have the ability to return to some of the city's iconic lakes to learn about the ecosystem, engineering, and the scientific method. In a broader sense, once the product is taken to market with help from the Biodesign Institute and SRP, millions of people around the world will have a safe, affordable method of removing cyanobacteria and Ecoli from local water sources without the use of chemicals, biocides, and invasive technology.

We are proud to announce our newest recipient of the GEM Environmental College Success Scholarship Award, Amy Effenberger.

Amy is from Las Vegas, Nevada. She enjoys swimming, bowling, and reading as often as she can. She currently runs an advocacy blog for inflammatory bowel disease. She has been doing this since the beginning of February 2020, and feels it is important to shed a light on invisible illnesses and teach others about them. It is found at bowelbee.weebly.com.

"I value a STEM education because it’s the future and we need to be able to advance the future."- Amy Effenberger

Amy is a first generation student who plans to use her scholarship towards paying off her student loans. Congratulations Amy! 

We're excited to share another Scholarship Success Spotlight!

Our April spotlight is on Alexis Riche, GEM's first quarter 2019 scholarship recipient from Dallas, Texas. Alexis completed her undergraduate studies in Washington, D.C., while putting herself through school. She's now working toward a graduate degree in geology in Flagstaff, Arizona. As a first generation college student, she's come a long way. Alexis has moved around a lot, but no matter which state you find her in, she'll probably be typing avidly in a coffee shop.

My Current Work and Passion
My focus is on geochemistry, and I am currently working on two projects. One focuses on determining the source of uplift in the Colorado Plateau, which is currently unknown. The other focuses on bringing self-identified STEM students who may not have been exposed to geology before college into the fold. My ultimate goal is to teach geochemistry at a university level while conducting research I am passionate about. There is so much still to learn about the planet we live on, and I am excited to dedicate my life to unraveling a piece of the mystery and encouraging others to do the same. I especially think it is important to mentor students like me who, as first generation, did not really know how to go about continuing my education past high school and could really have benefited from a guiding hand.

What This Scholarship Means To Me
As a first generation college student, navigating academia has been difficult and expensive. I come from a relatively large family, and my parents couldn't afford to contribute to my college tuition or living expenses. Naive and in need, I took out thousands in student loans. This scholarship from GEM means that I can pay off some of that debt, which has been looming over me since I started this journey through higher education.

Why is STEM/geology important to you? 
I chose geology because, unlike some other professional fields, it is completely exploratory. The chance to be a part of something that is so dynamic makes the prospect of working for the next several decades less intimidating or disheartening. Part of what makes geology so interesting is that it is truly applicable, because it is the study of the world we live in, and it integrates so many other sciences such as chemistry and physics. I also think that, as a woman and a first generation college student, it's important to represent those demographics within STEM fields. 

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Way to go, Alexis! We're proud to support your educational pursuits and wish you luck as you embark on your geological career.

Read more Scholarship Success Stories HERE.

Are you a STEM major? Consider applying for one of our scholarships! Visit our Scholarship page to learn more about eligibility and apply online.

We're excited to share another Scholarship Success Spotlight!

Our February spotlight is on Rebecca Beers, first quarter 2018 scholarship recipient from Mesa, Arizona. When not attending school at Northern Arizona University, she enjoys kayaking, birding, hiking, gardening, cooking, and planning her next adventure. Here's her story:

Why I Value STEM Education
STEM education is important to me because it is thrilling to solve problems and provide humanity with knowledge previously unknown.

My Current Work and Passion
My research is based on the Pinaleño Mountains in southeastern Arizona studying post-wildfire debris flows. Specifically, my research focuses on two major questions: what processes are filling debris-flow-scoured channels, and do recent debris flows represent a shift in landscape response?

What This Scholarship Means To Me and How I Used the Funds
I am a first generation student as well as a female scientist. This scholarship has helped me overcome some of the financial obstacles associated with my research, and achieve success in my research.

My scholarship funds were used for travel to and from my field site, as well as for radiocarbon dating charcoal samples. My project is field intensive, and having the funds to travel to my field site throughout the summer and fall was imperative. The remaining funds were used for radiocarbon dating of charcoal samples. These samples are aiding in answering one of my primary research questions.

In my work, I have learned that following post-fire debris flows, the material deposited by the debris flow continues to alter the channel long after the debris flow event. As seen in the above picture, coarse debris flow material episodically shifts downstream. Red signifies sediment accumulation, and blue signifies sediment removal when comparing pre-monsoon and post-monsoon surveys of the channel.

Prior to taking the post-monsoon surveys, my hypothesis was that the scoured hillslope toes adjacent to the channel (see above picture of the post fire debris flow at Mt. Graham) would begin to relax overtime and deposit sediment in the channel that would ultimately aid in returning the channel to an equilibrated "V" shape. However, after surveying the channel post-monsoon, it became apparent that although the hillslopes were relaxing and delivering sediment to the channel (as hypothesized), the sediment was being removed by monsoon-related flood events. It is likely that because the soils in the headwaters of the watershed have not fully recovered from the 2017 Frye Fire, infiltration capacity and vegetation interception have decreased, leading to an increase in runoff, creating a "flashy" stream response to precipitation. As the soils and vegetation recover from the fire, it is expected that the channel will have less "flashy" responses. This is where hillslope sediment contribution will likely become a dominant channel filling process.

A Few Other Highlights I'd Like to Share
I have learned several skills through my research including how to fly a UAV and process UAV channel surveys using photogrammetry software, and how to perform ground-penetrating-radar surveys. I am happy to have learned these skills, and I hope to continue using them in my future career.

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Awesome work, Rebecca! G.E.M. Environmental is proud to help you and we wish you the very best in your career. Read more Scholarship Success Stories HERE.

Are you a STEM major? Consider applying for one of our scholarships! Visit our Scholarship page to learn more about eligibility and apply online.

We're excited to share another Scholarship Success Spotlight! In case you haven't read these yet, we will be regularly sharing stories from our talented scholarship recipients and how they are using their funds in the STEM fields.

Our January spotlight is on Soyasha Pandey, 4th quarter 2018 scholarship recipient from a small Himalayan country, Nepal, the existence of which most people are unaware of. Despite the limited opportunities her small country had to offer, she had aspirations bigger than that could be fulfilled there. Hence, Soyasha decided to travel to the other side of the planet to further her education in the field of Aerospace Engineering. Here's her story:

Why I Value STEM Education
I came across the acronym “STEM” on my first day in an American school when I was told of the SMCC STEMS Club (the extra ‘S’ for ‘sustainability). Nearly a year and a half ago was the first time I was introduced to the broad concept of this all-encompassing term and today I write this as the Vice President of the SMCC STEMS Club and an advocate for the STEM fields. The knowledge I have gained by being a part of the field and through mentors and role models has convinced me that the future of humankind relies on the advancement of the STEM field and hence, it is important to inspire the upcoming generations towards it.

My Current Work and Passion
Since early childhood, I have looked at the stars in wonderment, an act that not just became an impulsive habit but has now shaped my career choice. As my curiosities were answered, new questions emerged, creating a cycle of never-ending questions and mysteries, a cycle that is indeed cruel but fascinating enough for physicists and scientists to have devoted their lives towards, and I have become but one more victim of it.

Since I am currently pursuing my Associates in Science, my primary focus has been on sustainability and the present critical need of its implementation in every field imaginable. Through the mentors of the club and field trip to places like the Desert Botanical Garden, San Xavier Mine and Biosphere 2, I have been able to gain valuable knowledge in previously unexplored subjects, the basis of which I have used as motivation in my projects. Through the club I have been working in the school botanical garden for the past year, being involved in projects that not only serve sustainability but also reflect my love for space. The revived botanical garden that was once covered with runaway aloe and dead cacti now serves as an example of sustainable development while displaying the passions of the members involved in the project.

With access to the engineering lab, I decided to use the new laser etching equipment to build planet plaques that have been placed along the garden pathway proportional to their actual distance in the solar system. With smaller projects completed, we have now been awarded funding to further promote the use of green energy by building a shade structure that facilitates solar-powered phone and laptop charging to the students as well a solar powered weather station, a project that is still in its initial stage but, no doubt, a big achievement in sustainability.

Joining South Mountain Community College has introduced my timid self to new possibilities and a wide range of knowledge. Upon meeting fellow space lovers, students in the STEM fields and role models like Dr. Sian Proctor, I realized how much I still needed to learn and how educational a social setting like a club can be. Being a part, and now the Vice President, of the STEMS Club has been significant in introducing me to geology and sustainability, fields that I have now come to know are crucial space exploration and discovery.

In the years that follow and upon transfer to Arizona State University, I hope to be able to use the knowledge I have gained and be able to implement it fields of astronautical importance. I hope to be working in labs studying the terrain of different planets and engineering crafts to study them, I imagine myself being able to work and contribute in the next interstellar breakthrough, but most importantly, I hope to be able to answer my own curiosities about the cosmos that I have had since I realized that the canvas of the night sky holds more than just the stars and moon.

What This Scholarship Means To Me and How I Plan To Use the Funds
It is with much pride that I say I am one of the recipients of the 4th quarter scholarship of 2018. Since I have been independent upon my arrival to the US in 2017, the funding provided by G.E.M. Environmental is of tremendous help. The funds will go towards paying for my tuition and hence I will be able to focus on my education and invest time in projects that I believe will enrich my practical knowledge in order to become a competent engineer.

I literally traveled to the other side of the planet to chase a dream that some might even call too good to be true. The aid provided by GEM Environmental is not just financial but is a vote of trust which I am grateful for.

A Few Other Highlights I'd Like To Share
This year I was able to see one of my idols in person. After having watched him for years through screens motivating me further towards the field of astronomy, hearing Neil deGrasse Tyson in person talk about the endless possibilities the cosmos holds evoked emotions in me that led to an ultimate realization; what I am pursuing is more than just a degree, it is my calling.

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This is fantastic! We are so pleased that G.E.M. Environmental was able to assist you in your educational endeavors and we look forward to hearing more about your progress in the coming years!

Are you a STEM major? Consider applying for one of our scholarships! Visit our Scholarship page to learn more about eligibility and apply online.