A STEM Future Undeterred by Circumstance
Share
We are entering a second year of the disruption of a time-honored tradition across America: Fall back-to-school. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic again forcing school districts to navigate an untenable choice, there remain bright spots in some student experiences.
The EVOLUTIONS (Evoking Learning and Understanding through Investigations of the Natural Science) program—affectionately known by its students as EVO—at the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University helps 100 talented and underserved students in New Haven, Connecticut, live up to their potential through intensive STEM experiences and college-bound services. Students commit to the program for the length of their high school careers and often work their first jobs through the sister program, SciCorps.
The Avangrid Foundation, in collaboration with United Illuminated and Southern Connecticut Gas, has been a leading corporate partner to EVO since 2018, investing over $150,000 in the long-term success of the program.
EVO’s impact transcends the restrictions bought on by the pandemic as it continues to bring diverse students together, giving them a space to think critically about the natural world and to be inspired to see all the opportunities the future holds at a world-class university and museum…futures undeterred by circumstance.
One such student is Adira Ahmad Rizal from New Haven, Connecticut. Adira will attend Yale University in Fall 2021. This is her EVO experience, in her words.
Every Wednesday after school, I would take a five-minute shuttle to the EVOLUTIONS program at the Yale Peabody Museum. I’d open the heavy, double doors of the building, wave excitedly to the person at the front desk, and carry myself up the stairs to the second-floor classrooms, smelling the freshly microwaved popcorn from the moment I entered the lobby. I would greet everyone from my seat by the door, and listen to the music that always played while I munched on a granola bar or slurped up instant ramen. An evening of science, games, and laughter awaited.
For four years, EVO was the highlight of my week. Together, we built a community of friends and mentors in an accepting and a safe space. EVO was a program that brought students from the entire New Haven school district together. I met so many people that I never would have had the pleasure of meeting, if it wasn’t for EVO. And I wasn’t afraid to be myself around them, sharing my passion for science, an obsession with K-pop, and a knack for art. The director of the program, Dr. Andrea Motto, was always willing to hear about my week and offer guidance and advice. That kind of support is something every teenager needs.
My senior year at EVO was unique with college applications, my capstone project, and a pandemic, to top it off. We weren’t able to meet in person, but having the ability to meet remotely helped tremendously with my own mental health. Even though we were online, conversations with my friends offered comfort through my laptop screen. EVO also got me through the notoriously difficult college application process. I completed 14 applications and stressed out for three months, waiting for the results. Throughout that time, EVO was there to lessen the weight on my shoulders and distract me.
Before the pandemic, I made many connections with Peabody staff while on collections tours, attending talks from different scientists, and educating museum visitors as a Sci.CORPS interpreter. My senior capstone project focused on inclusivity for BIPOC and women in STEM, which gave me the opportunity to work with people in the museum and at Yale. I met Dr. Chris Norris and Dr. Mariana Di Giacomo to talk about their experiences in STEM. I enjoyed hearing other people’s stories and relating them to my own. Through my project, I built relationships over personal conversations, shared their stories, and advocated for an issue I was passionate about.
After opening my acceptance letter to Yale (and screaming and crying in disbelief), I thought of how I’d be spending another four years at the Peabody. The connections I created will be strengthened, instead of being left behind. I can finally act on all the opportunities I’d been exposed to while in EVO, and eventually provide them again to students who have similar stories to mine. The EVOLUTIONS program was the best part of the last four years of my life and these experiences will last a lifetime. I never knew I’d want to be a scientist, and I didn’t think I had it in me to become one, until I realized I enjoyed STEM. EVO didn’t just make me recognize that I, in fact, can be a scientist, but it helped me envision the vast opportunities that STEM fields offer me, my community, and our futures. As I embark on this journey, I’ll never forget everything EVO has done for me. I hope to support and inspire students exploring their passions the same way this program did for me.
The Avangrid Foundation is proud of Adira and is proud to partner with the Peabody Museum on this important and impactful program.
Learn more about the Avangrid Foundation’s support of the EVOLUTION program and its students here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csk8PaPANVs.
