In partnership with The American Chemistry Council (ACC), Chemours, and HBCU Week Foundation, the Future of STEM Scholars Initiative (FOSSI) was established in November 2020 with the goal of helping to combat the lack of diversity in the STEM workforce.
FOSSI provides scholarship recipients $10,000 per year for four years, helping to eliminate financial barriers for historically under-represented groups. Recently, 151 outstanding scholars were chosen to join FOSSI’s inaugural class. See the video below for an inside look into how FOSSI is changing the lives of these amazing scholars.
In honor of Women’s History Month, we introduce four women in FOSSI’s inaugural class who desire to make a positive impact on the world through careers in STEM.
Meet more of FOSSI’s inaugural class
Jordayne Daye: 2021 FOSSI Scholar Attending North Carolina A&T State University
Jordayne is a graduate of Northern Guilford High School in North Carolina. At Northern Guilford, Jordayne was a successful four-year girls varsity track and field athlete and participated in numerous extra-curricular activities. These included the National Technical Honor Society, Student Council, the McKnight Scholars Program, Girl Scout Troop 41419, and the Greensboro Area Health Teen Health Club. In the fall, Jordayne will attend North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, majoring in chemistry on the pre-dental track. As a dentist, she’ll be able to continue using chemistry when making sure that a patient heals correctly, medicine mixes well, and in procedures.
Taylor Rawlings: 2021 FOSSI Scholar Attending Howard
At Glen Allen High School, Taylor was a high achieving honor roll student, a member of the Glen Allen Orchestra, the Varsity Cheer team, the Step team, the marching band, and the Diverse Hands at Work club. She also received numerous awards including the Jack and Jill of America, Inc. Outstanding Leadership Award, Outstanding Volunteer Award, and the Presidential Volunteer Service Award. Taylor is passionate about pursuing a STEM degree at Howard University because of the tremendous gap for women of color in STEM. She believes that STEM careers provide the future leaders of our world with not only money, but also power. She welcomes the challenge that comes with participating in underrepresented and underserved fields to prove to herself that she has the aptitude, ability, and confidence to succeed.
Skye Taylor: 2021 FOSSI Scholar Attending Southern University
Skye Taylor is a recent graduate from East Ascension High School in Gonzales, Louisiana. In the fall, she will attend Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She plans to major in mechanical engineering with a minor in supply chain management. Skye is passionate about pursuing a degree in a STEM-related field because it allows her to be creative and to use her creativity to find solutions, solve problems, and change the way people live. She believes there are unlimited ways that she can positively impact society as a mechanical engineer.
Kennedy West: 2021 FOSSI Scholar Attending North Carolina A&T State University
Kennedy is a class of 2021 honors with distinction graduate from Druid Hills High School in Atlanta, Georgia. Along with completing the rigorous International Baccalaureate (IB) program, she was actively involved in academic, leadership, and athletic extracurricular activities. She is honored to be able to continue pursuing her education at North Carolina A&T State University, majoring in chemistry. Ultimately, she would like to become a leading scientist in the field of pharmacology and pharmaceutical science, developing life-altering solutions to some of the world’s most deadly diseases. As a humanitarian in her field, she also envisions herself developing a network of expanded opportunities for minorities in STEM.
Learn more about FOSSI’s inaugural class.
The Future of STEM Scholars Initiative (FOSSI) is a core initiative of AIChE's Doing a World of Good campaign and its All for Good: Engineering for Inclusion priority. FOSSI is supported by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), The American Chemistry Council (ACC), Chemours, and HBCU Week Foundation.
Future of Stem Scholars Initiative
