What do a Hip Hop Artist, a NBA player, a University President, and a Congressman have in common? STEM of course! Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics–STEM is the fuel that drives U.S. competitiveness by inspiring innovation and fostering creativity. It also holds the key to our country’s future economic prosperity.
Since 2013, I have dutifully assisted with STEM Education and career initiatives in underserved communities through organizations such as THE HUD STEM Innovation Network led by Mr. Jerryl Bennett and 360 Cradle to Careers, led by Mrs. Faith Linton, even at times working in collaboration with the United States Military Academy. Collectively, these organizations have provided STEM-themed educational and leadership opportunities to hundreds of students across the country, including those in my hometown of Hampton, Virginia.
My sister, Tenderly Diaz, gets a lot of opportunities as a STEM Champion working with the HUD STEM Innovation Network, such as travelling from our home in Hampton, Virginia to our state capitol, Richmond, or to Indiana or Georgia. Because I would like to travel and meet new people, I decided to follow in her footsteps.
On Friday January 13, 2017, as ASTRA's Futurist, I traveled to NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. to join Shades of Blue Founder and CEO, Captain Willie Daniels, and a Shades of Blue Chapter Board Member from DCMD, Mr. Marvin Richardson, to honor the STEM Education Legacy of the 12th NASA Administrator and former Astronaut (ret), Major-General Charles F. Bolden, with A Shades of Blue Community Outreach Award and a Shades of Blue Astronaut Reunion Commemorative Patch. It was a wonderful gathering of leaders who each possesses a deep commitment to cultivating America’s Innovation Capacity on Earth and in Space.
The National Association of Multicultural Engineering Program Advocates (NAMEPA) honored ASTRA Senior Advisor and Futurist, Dr. Ronnie Lowenstein, with the 2016 NAMEPA Wings to Succeed Award at its 37th Annual National Conference celebrating, ‘100 Shades of Diversity’ at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. The award was presented by Mrs. Virginia Womack, Executive Director of NAMEPA to Dr. Lowenstein in recognition of her lifelong commitment to future-focused equity programs that foster the innovation capacity of America.