STEM Alumni Spotlight Series

Looking back, what were the things you found most helpful to you at SMC? What do you think made the difference for you?

I will definitely say it was a mix of both faculty, staff and friends I made while in the program. Through going to OHs I was able to build meaningful relationships with faculty who guided me on my professional and academic career paths. The staff at the STEM/SI program also offered a great deal of mentorship around resources for going through the transfer process and accessing support for financial aid as well as psychological support! And lastly, the friends that I made have become the best friends I've kept over the years (can't believe I'm really going to their weddings now!!).  

Something you loved about being part of the STEM program, perhaps a specific memorable experience, OR a short reflection of how you've grown since the program?

One thing the program taught me was how to cultivate a community that supports you and allows you to develop a strong sense of self. I look for the signs of a positive community culture in my professional and personal lives based on the experiences I gained at SMC and within the STEM program. Having amazing female and Black, Asian and POC role models helped me see what positive and influential leadership is. Even when I felt like everyone else was progressing and I was standing still, anybody on staff or STEM faculty had an encouraging word letting me know I am capable and can do it! 

Did/Do you feel represented or find a community within SMC and/or the STEM Program?

Yes, I definitely felt represented! Between the STEM program and Black Collegians, I found people that shared common goals and motivations around academic and career success. Furthermore, staff and faculty candidly shared a sense of vulnerability about their aspirations and career paths that I could relate to. It also allowed me to understand that there are different paths to success!

If you had to give advice to yourself when you first started at SMC, what would you say?

I would say always be a go-getter! If you want something or are interested in it, speak up and ask for support or guidance or help! I think I missed a few things because I didn't ask for help and I realize now that asking for help is a sign of maturity and not weakness.

Are you a part of any professional organizations or any extracurriculars (does not have to be STEM related)?

Welcome to the world of you can be doing STEM-related things outside of a "traditional" STEM career. I currently work in HR or as the tech world has rebranded it, "People Operations" as a Specialist. It's led me to join the Society for Human Resource Management! 

What was something you loved about being part of the STEM program? 

How have you grown since the program?
Where do I even start? Some of my best friends now are people I met through the STEM program.
 Like I mentioned before, I spent a lot of time in the STEM room, and just being there and hearing about new programs, classes, and professors provided me with more resources than I could google.

One of the things I am so so grateful for is the support I received from my peers and counselors. Everytime I found something slightly interesting, they would push me to apply and even help me through every step. They reviewed my essays, provided me with a room for interviews, wrote me letters of recs, and more.

Through my experiences in STEM, I was able to work in a research lab at UCLA, present that research, and even experience the dorm life for a summer, all while still at SMC. And after that, I was hungry for more. I used that experience to apply for scholarships when I transferred to UC Davis. I was able to study abroad in Sweden for a semester without having to worry financially. Immediately after, I lived in DC for the summer to intern with the National Democratic Institute.

I owe a lot of my professional growth to the STEM program. I am so much more confident now than I was when I joined because they supported me through and through. I got more involved in school clubs, even becoming an ambassador for the UC Davis Washington Program and the Benjamin Gilman International Scholarship Program

Any STEM shortcuts/hacks you can share? 

Join communities in your industry and read their newsletters!

Read through the STEM emails! They have so much information on internships, summer programs, and scholarships. If a recruiter ever reaches out to alumni about programs, co-ops, or rotational programs, we send them all to Vanan. Those then get included in the STEM newsletters.

When you transfer, read through the transfer and scholarship emails! This is how I found a scholarship application and received an all-expenses paid trip to a conference in New York because a foundation wanted more students to know about tech opportunities in non-traditionally tech companies. I join tech communities like Women Who Code, Lesbians Who Tech & Allies, AfroTech, etc. – all of which have newsletters that list scholarships, job openings, conferences, and more.

Be open to all the opportunities that come to you. We’re there to get experience and there’s always something new to learn!

Tell us about yourself and any challenges you have had to overcome?

I’m a first-generation college graduate and international student from South Africa. I originally came to the U.S. to study acting, but switched to engineering when I became a 2014 STEM cohort member. It took me 8 years to complete my degree. During the process, I struggled a lot with being financially disadvantaged on top of being an international student and even experienced homelessness and food insecurity. I was disallowed from returning to SMC in 2015 due to immigration issues, and was almost kicked out of university twice for not being able to pay for tuition. However, during the process I also won numerous scholarships, served as a Phi Theta Kappa Vice President, 2016-2017 SMC President’s Ambassador, Sustainable Works Workshop Leader, 2016-2017 STEM tutor, 2017 UCLA SRI participant, 2018-2019 Engineers Without Borders President and was a civil engineering intern for Next Step Design Inc. from 2019-2020. I finally became a Civil Engineering graduate in Fall 2020.

Where do you currently work? 

I currently work as an Engineering Intern at Civiltec Engineering Inc., Monrovia. As an intern I assist project managers and engineers with drafting construction plans using CAD software, writing reports for city water districts, creating hydraulic models of local water distribution systems and analyzing water consumption and water demand data for agencies in the Southern California region.

Something you loved about being part of the STEM program, perhaps a specific memorable experience

The thing I loved most about SRI was having a place to belong. Being an international student, I often felt both like an outsider and lost, because I didn’t have the same experiences as other students due to my foreign status and had no family with me as I navigated school. My most memorable experience in SRI was tutoring in the STEM lab. Seeing the joy that students felt as their academics went from being frustrating to understandable made me feel like I was being the person I needed when I was taking my classes. The SRI became my home away from home and the students and faculty became my family.

If you had to give advice to yourself when you first started at SMC, what would you say?

All the suffering I experienced came from feeling too insignificant to ask for help, being too afraid to reach out for resources or support and making the assumption that getting through school was something I had to do all on my own. My advice to you is that you make a community for yourself as you try to get your degree: study in groups, reach out to your professors, speak up when you don’t understand and ask for help from peers, faculty or the STEM program when you feel stuck. Any success that I’ve had comes from the faculty, friends, family members and good Samaritans that fought for me when I faced times where all hope seemed lost. You are important, you matter and you deserve to achieve your dreams just as much as anyone else.

Abigail Brand's journey to UC Davis is a testament to the power of perseverance and following your passions.  She initially began at SMC in the Liberal Arts program, but took a break to pursue a career in makeup artistry.  Life took another turn when she became a caregiver for her grandmother.  This experience sparked a newfound interest in science, leading Abigail back to the halls of SMC, this time with a focus on General Science.

SMC played a pivotal role in helping Abigail achieve her academic goals.  Supportive faculty, particularly Felix Ma, provided valuable guidance and inspiration.  The Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program secured her spot at UC Davis, her dream school.  Scholars and STEM counselors also played a key role, assisting her with class selection and ensuring she was on track for a successful transfer.  Additionally, the Care Extender Program provided Abigail with valuable, hands-on experience that aligns perfectly with her future career aspirations.

Today, Abigail is thriving at UC Davis, pursuing a degree in Microbiology with a clear vision of entering the field of forensic biology.  Her story exemplifies how SMC empowers students to explore different paths, find their passions, and ultimately achieve their academic dreams.