Hello,

My life-changer is Dr. Lisa Szczepura, who helped me fall in love with chemistry, find my career path, and follow it with confidence. While I had the support and encouragement of my family, Dr. Szczepura gave me what they couldn’t: a female role model and mentor in a male-dominated field. I recognized the deep and lasting impact my mentor had on my life, and I knew there just weren’t enough Dr. Szczepuras
to go around. Women and cultural minorities continue to be underrepresented in STEM professions and overrepresented in low-wage jobs. Largely responsible for this sad reality are a lack of relatable mentors and the significant resource limitations of our schools. Your financial gift can bridge that gap for Knoxville’s youth. Your support helps YO-STEM continue to engage, educate, and empower students within and beyond their classrooms.

Who is your life-changer?

Your gift can ensure that every underserved kid in Knoxville has their own Dr. Szczepura to provide hands-on mentoring and encouragement. And mentorship carries an impact far beyond this school year or the next. After 26 years, Lisa Szczepura is still there for me and inspires my goal of “paying forward” her life-changing mentorship. Because of Dr. Szczepura, I was there for biologist Maya Little, mentoring her through her earliest career days and now as a colleague at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Like me, Maya is now paying it forward, serving as a YO-STEM mentor.

Right now, you can make a gift and change a life in recognition of YOUR life-changer. With your donation you can honor that mentor, special teacher, friend or family member who helped you create your future. We’ll notify them of a gift made in their name, and when you give $50 or more, we’ll include a thoughtful memento that will make your honorarium even more meaningful. Kids may be born with an interest in math or science, but they don’t find their path, pursue their passion, and create personal and professional success without the right help along the way. YO-STEM can only provide that help with your help, so give today and make an investment in those kids who need you most.

In gratitude for you and for my life-changer,

Candice E. Halbert

$112 covers food for one jam-packed gSTEM Chat & Chill session. Providing an afterschool meal and an opportunity to hear the academic and career journey of a gSTEM mentor.

$52 defrays costs for T-shirts and other YO-STEM “swag” designed to help every rookie student feel welcome and included in their new peer learning group.

$247 provides YO-STEM community outreach materials, bringing STEM projects to kids attending summer camps and festivals across our area.

To honor your mentor or special teacher, please make your donation as a ticket purchase so that we may collect the information needed to send your special gift.

Life Changer

By Youth Outreach in Science Technology Engineering and Math

Life Changer

Team Members