Louis Stokes Midwest Regional Center of Excellence

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LSAMP Success Stories

I am Unangax, Aleut, or Alaska Native. I am from the two small Unangax villages of False Pass and King Cove, which are located on the Aleutian chain in Alaska. I attended primary and secondary school in Anchorage, which is the largest city in Alaska. In the summers as a child, I would return to my hometowns to harvest traditional foods and live a traditional Unangax subsistence lifestyle.

As a minority woman in science, I understand the importance of mentoring future scientists, as the disparity of minorities in STEM programs is great. My desire to increase the number of minorities in STEM programs allowed me to become a student recruiter for the Graduate Education and Medical umbrella program.

A robotics competition in High School changed my life. I was THOMAS - WIN_20140824_153924 (3)always a kid who made the grades but I didn’t have a passion outside the baseball diamond. My Dallas Lincoln High School robotics team along with my Computer Systems Networking class gave me the confidence I needed to pursue a degree in Technology.

I always liked hands-on sports, activities and getting to fix things. Growing up in rural Arkansas, I was lucky to be in an environment and neighborhood that embraced getting outside and exploring the real world. My sisters and I always listened to our mom and dad’s stories of their experiences in manufacturing.

Dr. Justin Rice, DSCOVR (Deep Space Climate Observatory) GDS (Goddard Dynamic Simulator) Lead at NASA, has had great STEM experiences and, in turn, has great advice for aspiring STEM students. Read his interview with LSMCE to learn more about Dr. Rice and how he has made an impact on the STEM community.