HVISTEM Mentorship Program Cohort 1 is six sessions in, and it is already becoming a beautiful journey of learning, growth and connection.
Our first cohort brings together 45 young women with different interests, experiences and dreams in STEM. Over the first six sessions, we have watched participants ask important questions about who they are, explore where STEM could take them, build professional confidence, connect with others and begin thinking about the problems they can solve in their communities.
Here is a look at the journey so far.
• It Started with "Why?"
We opened the programme with Session 1: Discovering My STEM Identity, led by Dr. Irine Chenwi.
Before talking about careers and opportunities, we wanted participants to start with something more personal: Why did I choose STEM? Where do I see myself in it? Do I feel like I belong here?
The session explored identity, belonging and confidence, giving participants space to reflect on their own reasons for pursuing STEM.
It was a fitting place to begin, because knowing your "why" is what keeps you moving when the journey gets difficult.
• Exploring the Many Paths in STEM
For Session 2: Navigating STEM Pathways, Dr. Edna Visiy helped participants look at the many possibilities that exist within STEM.
Participants explored different STEM fields and career routes and began thinking more intentionally about their own paths.
One important lesson from the session was that there is no single way to build a STEM career. You do not need to have everything figured out immediately. What matters is understanding your options, continuing to learn and gradually building a path that fits who you are and where you want to go.
• Preparing to Stand Out
Our third session moved from exploring possibilities to preparing for them.
During Session 3: CV Writing & Interview Success, Ms. Sharon Beri worked with participants on stronger CVs, interview storytelling, employer expectations and professional confidence.
Because having the skills is only half the story. Knowing how to tell your story is what opens the door.
Participants were encouraged to think about how they present their experiences, tell their stories and show what they can bring to an opportunity.
• Learning to Lead
What does it really mean to be a leader?
That conversation shaped Session 4: Leadership for Female Innovators, led by Mrs. Yvonne Manka'ah Che.
Participants explored leadership, personal growth, initiative and the confidence to become changemakers.
Leadership does not have to begin with a title. It can begin with taking responsibility, speaking up, solving a problem, helping someone else or simply having the courage to act on an idea.
We want the young women in HVISTEM to see themselves not only as future STEM professionals, but as leaders capable of creating change today.
• Networking with Purpose
STEM journeys are rarely built alone.
In Session 5: Networking & Building Professional Relationships, Ms. Ashley Martinez helped participants think differently about networking.
Participants mapped the people already within their networks and were challenged to make an authentic connection with someone in their middle or outer circle.
The goal was not simply to collect contacts. It was to understand how genuine professional relationships are built and maintained.
Sometimes an opportunity begins with a conversation. Sometimes guidance comes from someone you were afraid to approach. Learning how to build meaningful relationships is therefore an important part of building a career.
• From Community Problems to STEM Solutions
By Session 6, we wanted participants to begin looking beyond themselves.
Dr. Agbor Evelyn led Session 6: STEM Solutions for Communities, where participants explored how problems within their communities can become research questions, ideas and practical STEMbased innovations.
This is at the heart of what we hope HVISTEM will inspire.
STEM is not only something we study in classrooms or use to build careers. It is a tool for looking at the world differently, and for building the solutions our communities need.
We want participants to look at their communities and ask:
What problem do I see? Why does it exist? What can I investigate? And what could I build or do about it?
• Six Sessions Down, and We Are Just Getting Started
We are incredibly grateful to the women who have shared their knowledge and experiences with our first cohort:
Dr. Irine Chenwi, Dr. Edna Visiy, Ms. Sharon Beri, Mrs. Yvonne Manka'ah Che, Ms. Ashley Martinez and Dr. Agbor Evelyn.
Each session has added something different to the journey. We started with identity, explored STEM pathways, strengthened professional skills, talked about leadership, built networks and finally began connecting STEM to problems within our communities.
And there is still more ahead.
Community projects are beginning to take shape. More learning is coming. Most importantly, 45 young women are continuing to discover what they can build, solve and become through STEM.
This is what it looks like when young women are given the space to grow: they show up, ask hard questions, support each other and start building the future they want to see.
Six sessions down. The journey continues.