Navisite announced the three winners of its Navisite's Next
Steminist scholarship program. In its inaugural year, the program is
designed to help close the gender gap in tech and encourage young women to
pursue their dreams in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). The
three winners are Elizabeth Andraschko of Spring Park, Minnesota; Abigayle
Mercer of Creswell, Oregon; and Vithya Srikumar of New York City. Each winner
will receive a $10,000 scholarship towards their undergraduate education.
"We are honored to name the first-ever winners of Navisite's
Next Steminist Scholarship as these young women prepare to further their
education, launch STEM careers and give back to their communities," said Gina
Murphy, president and COO of Navisite. "The three winners stood out among the
many candidates from across the country. We were impressed with their vision
and determination to make a difference with their STEM educations, and we're
thrilled to be able to support them."
The winners plan to use their ‘Next Steminist' scholarship
to pursue careers in STEM fields that will enable them to contribute their
talents for the betterment of society and human health.
- Elizabeth
Andraschko will attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison and plans to
pursue a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering. She hopes to one day
work for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in energy efficiency,
aiding with the large-scale adaptation of electric transportation to
reduce the carbon footprint of humans. "As a woman in STEM, I vow to use
my voice and dismantle power imbalances and promote minority voices so
that diversity will be the center of all future societal development,"
said Andraschko.
- Abigayle
Mercer will attend California Polytechnic State University to pursue her
dream career of working in a data science position at a research facility,
using math, research and computer programming to solve problems. The
COVID-19 pandemic has inspired Abigayle to help the world prepare for the
potential of future infectious outbreaks. "Working with epidemiologists, I
would like to analyze patterns in virus mutation and contact spreading to
help predict, plan and prepare the world for the next pandemic," says
Mercer. "If I can use my STEM degree to make a positive impact, this is
how I will do it."
- Vithya
Srikumar will attend Northeastern University to pursue a degree in
computer science and behavioral neuroscience, combining the two areas to
streamline research and make it easier to work with large data sets and
draw conclusions backed by evidence. "As someone who has suffered from
numerous neurological issues, I know how vital it is to advance our
knowledge of the brain in order to help people with similar conditions,"
said Srikumar. "I can't wait to get started on my journey of learning so
that I can start giving back to the world that has been so good to me."
The Navisite Next Steminist program is administered by
Navisite customer Scholarship America®,
the nation's largest designer and manager of scholarship, tuition assistance
and other education support programs for corporations, foundations,
associations and individuals.
For updates on the 2022 ‘Next Steminist' submission period,
as well as eligibility requirements, please visit the Navisite's Next
Steminist web page.