Staying Fit
Photo by Stephen Voss
When I began my career as a computer programmer, I was keenly aware of the lack of gender and racial diversity. As the problem persisted, and even worsened, I decided it was time to do something. In 2012, I founded STEM Advantage, a nonprofit organization that provides science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) career opportunities to California State University students. It’s the largest and most ethnically diverse four-year public university system in the nation. Over the last 11 years, we’ve maintained a 100 percent graduation rate and seen most of our students get an entry-level job with a $75,000-to-$80,000 average starting salary.
The problem I’m trying to solve
STEM Advantage strives to achieve gender and racial equity through education and career development. Most of our students are first-generation college students from low-income families. They have little access to professional or personal networks that will help them secure a high-paying job after graduation.
One way we can help level the playing field is to mentor, prepare and inspire them to go into STEM fields. These are fast-growing occupations that pay more on average than other professions. Our goal is to support these young people as they gain confidence and provide them with networking opportunities to help them advance in these fields. Many of the students that we’ve helped have been able to get starting salaries that are four times what they made before they went to school. It allows them to pay off debt, save to buy a home and build wealth that they can eventually pass down to future generations.
The moment that sparked my passion
I began my career as a programmer at IBM. Over the years, as a consultant, I was able to see firsthand the lack of gender and racial diversity in the technology industry. I could literally count the number of Black and Hispanic/Latinx professionals on one hand in every company I worked with, which included most of the major New York financial institutions. After years of seeing this, I decided that I had to do something. I leveraged my network and connections to create STEM Advantage in 2012.
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