Congratulations to 2025 AspireED STEM Scholarship Winners!

In March 2025, AspireED initiated its first STEM scholarship program. The scholarships are designed to encourage middle school girls to explore science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The scholarship was founded by high school student Alyssa Huang, in partnership with the Branson School.

This year, three girls (two 7th grade students and one 6th grade student) - Anavictoria Aban Conrado, Tania Gutierrez, and Sophie Cruz Diaz - were selected as recipients. All three are Next Generation Scholars who have distinguished themselves academically and demonstrate a strong interest in science. Each recipient has been awarded $500 scholarship to attend a STEM enrichment summer course of their choice through Branson School's Summer Session.

Anavictoria and Tania have chosen to study Financial Literacy, a course that introduces fundamental financial concepts such as the time value of money, interest, discount rates, loans, credit cards, and mortgages. The course emphasizes long-term financial planning through real-world assignments and is taught by Dave Hansen, Branson's Chief Financial Officer. "Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity," said Anavictoria, "I really appreciate it."

Sophie has selected to enroll in "Food Science," a hands-on course that explores food through a scientific lens using cooking activities, experiments, and taste tests. The class examines topics such as the chemistry behind cooking, why certain flavor combinations work, and how to make the perfect ice cream using scientific principles.

"I hope Anavictoria, Tania, and Sophie love their classes," said Alyssa. "I've taken Branson Summer Session STEM classes in the past - they were fun and educational. Those classes played a big role in my decision to apply to Branson for high school and to pursue a STEM field."

Alyssa funds the AspireED STEM scholarships through proceeds from her baking business, Alyssa's Bliss-full Sweets (Instagram @alyssa_bakes_bliss). Alyssa donates 100% of her earnings to support nonprofits, including AspireED's programs.

The idea for the scholarship grew out of a research paper Alyssa wrote on the gender gap in STEM, where she learned that women make up only 28% of the STEM workforce. Her research highlighted key barriers such as stereotypes, lack of encouragement, limited opportunities, and fewer role models for girls. "I hope AspireED STEM scholarships will encourage more girls to explore STEM and consider a future career in STEM," said Alyssa.