Question

The Spelman College tagline is “A Choice to Change the World”. If you could create meaningful change around one issue in your school, community or globally, what would it be and how would you approach making this change?*

Answer 1

If I could create meaningful change, I would close the STEM opportunity gap for Black girls in my city — shifting the narrative from “you don’t belong here” to “you lead here.” Representation, resources, and culturally responsive mentorship matter. Too many talented girls lose access to STEM pathways because of lack of role models, intermittent exposure, unreliable technology, and curricula that ignore their lives. Changing that would not only open careers and wages for individuals, it would build community wealth and diversify the creators shaping our future.

My approach would be a three-tiered, scalable program I call Catalyst: Girls in STEM.

1) Community-rooted needs assessment and partnerships
- Start by partnering with two local middle/high schools to survey students, parents, and teachers to identify barriers (technology, course access, transportation, perceptions).
- Form an advisory board of students, teachers, Spelman faculty/alumnae in STEM, local tech employers, and community organizations to ensure the program responds to real needs.

2) Consistent, culturally relevant programming
- After-school and summer cohorts that combine project-based learning (robotics, coding, environmental science, data projects) with workshops on academic skills, college planning, and career pathways.
- Pair each cohort member with a near-peer mentor (Spelman students and alumnae) and a professional mentor from local industries to model visible career trajectories.
- Use culturally responsive curricula that centers Black women scientists, addresses bias in STEM, and connects projects to community problems (e.g., water testing, energy efficiency for low-income homes).

3) Access, pipeline, and sustainability
- Provide laptops/hotspots and stipends so participation is not limited by income.
- Build pathways: AP/AP-style prep, internships with partner companies, summer research at local universities, and scholarship navigation sessions.
- Measure outcomes: enrollment in advanced STEM classes, internship placement, college STEM major choice, and participant retention. Aim for a 30% increase in AP STEM enrollment at partner schools and at least 50 internship placements within three years.
- Scale by training classroom teachers as “teacher-trainers,” creating a digital curriculum hub, and securing multi-year funding from grants and corporate partners. Create an alumni mentorship loop so each graduating cohort supports the next.

I would lead the initiative as a student organizer: mobilizing campus groups, securing seed funding, coordinating mentors, and managing the pilot. The work would be collaborative — students, families, schools, and employers sharing ownership. In time, Catalyst would not just prepare girls for STEM careers; it would change expectations: that Black girls belong at the front of labs, codebases, and policy tables. That choice — to open doors and set new standards — is how I would change my community and, ultimately, the world.