Maddie Discovers her Passion for STEM

Maddie was a new student at GLOW Academy searching for ways to get involved. She never imagined how much her new venture would unlock new skills and opportunities.

Maddie joined the Young Scientist Academy’s (YSA) Code Niñas, a free program which taught female students data science, coding, and app development. Having no prior coding experience, Maddie was eager to add a new skill to her repertoire. She appreciated the hands-on, project-based approach to learning. Rather than sitting through lectures and completing assigned tasks, she gained the skills necessary to create a greenspace map of Wilmington, NC. This method proved to be incredibly rewarding, giving her a confidence boost and showing her that she was capable of conducting high-level research, even as a high school student.

Seeing her enthusiasm grow with each lesson, YSA hired Maddie as an Education Intern where she taught other students how to code. She enjoyed equipping them with new skills in Python, HTML, and CSS to create their own projects that evaluate real-world problems. She learned that age was not a limiting factor in a student’s ability to absorb complicated computer science concepts. Given the resources, anyone, regardless of age, can learn this material and produce a meaningful product.

​After her internship concluded, Maddie continued her involvement in YSA. She has completed a wide variety of projects from weather balloon launches to stormwater infrastructure research. Each project serves as a new opportunity to expand her knowledge of the STEM field and contribute to real-world solutions. 

​Scientific communication is an essential component of the “YSA Way”. As a student who has been involved in YSA for several years, Maddie has presented her research findings through a variety of different platforms - including the 2024 YSA Youth Summit, a conference that showcases research that students conduct across the world. Prior to her involvement in YSA, Maddie did not feel comfortable public speaking, but now, she confidently struts on stage and shares about her discoveries. She is increasingly passionate about improving scientific literacy and wants to equip others with tangible steps to make an impact in their community.​​

Maddie continues to grow her scientific expertise and marketable skill set. She is the proud captain of the Parkour Science team where she collaborates with other students to contribute to a sustainable and equitable future through research, fundraising, and scientific communication. Maddie appreciates how she can explore topics that are interesting to her, and she does not need to follow a rigid curriculum at YSA.

These experiences with YSA have profoundly affected Maddie. YSA sparked a love of learning and motivated her to apply more effort to her schoolwork. She is also strongly considering a career in STEM, which she had not contemplated beforehand. Because of her involvement in YSA, Maddie has the confidence and skills to pursue her dreams.