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“When you’re a kid, and especially from a community that’s
historically underrepresented in STEM, it’s so important to get the
kinds of science experiences you might not get in the classroom,” said
Andrew Garcia, a neuroscience doctoral student in the Department of
Psychological and Brain Sciences.
Garcia, who is a founder and president of Project Brain Light, said
that, while growing up in Los Angeles, he never would have imagined a
future in which he’d not only graduate from college but also go on to
conduct scientific research and pursue a doctorate.
“It’s especially important to start young, in middle school, to see
what future college educations and careers are possible,” he said. “If I
had these kinds of experiences in middle school, I might have taken my
high school classes more seriously.”
The organization’s vice president, Patrese Robinson-Drummer, is so
passionate about getting kids excited about science that she’s continued
her involvement with Project Brain Light even after earning her
doctorate in neuroscience at UD in January. Now a postdoctoral
researcher at New York University, she came back to Delaware for
Brain-STEM Day.