WYOMISSING, Pa. — Eight incoming Penn State Berks students were awarded a four-year scholarship to study engineering through the Penn State Berks Leveraging Innovation and Optimizing Nurturing (LION) STEM Scholars Program. This program is in its third year.

Earlier this year, Penn State Berks received a $750,000 grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S-STEM) program. The grant was used to create the LION STEM Scholars Program, which provides support in the form of a four-year, renewable $6,250 scholarship to talented engineering students with demonstrated financial need. Students who meet the requirements will receive $25,000 over four years.

In addition to scholarship funds, students will also receive academic support, mentoring, and professional development through the LION STEM Scholars Program. A cohort of students will be enrolled in the program each year for three years, for a total of 18 scholars over the program period.

The LION STEM Scholars Program also provides other experiences shown to support college success including a free four-week summer “bridge” program called Engineering Ahead to enhance academic preparedness and to provide community-building experiences prior to the first fall semester of college. Engineering Ahead includes a cohort experience, special on-campus living options, and enrichment activities focused on communication, financial literacy, career readiness, undergraduate research and community engagement.

This year’s scholarship recipients include: Michaela Donoho, of London, Ohio; McKenzie Ewing, of Moseley, Virginia; Matthias Maftei, of Reading, Pennsylvania; Agustin Menjivar, of Pompton Lakes, New Jersey; Gladys Perez Rodriguez, of Reading, Pennsylvania; Isaiah Smith, of Reading, Pennsylvania; Savannah Soto, of Wyomissing, Pennsylvania; and Calvin Yoder, of Temple, Pennsylvania.

“Being a recipient of the Lion STEM Scholars program has put me in a position for success,” Smith said. “First and foremost, it provided financial assistance for my tuition, alleviating me of the pressure to prioritize working in order to pay for my education, and allowing me to now prioritize my studies. Secondly, as I participated in the Engineering Ahead program … it prepared me for success as an incoming freshman. I studied, I collaborated, I learned about classes, jobs, internships, types of engineers, and what to expect. Lastly, it introduced me to fellow incoming freshman engineers, professors, past cohort students — all which empowered me to feel like I am not in this alone, but rather now a part of a community, full of resources, support, and kindness. I am so grateful for this opportunity.”

The main goal of the LION STEM Scholars Program is to enhance the STEM workforce by graduating more diverse high-achieving STEM students who have demonstrated financial need. Penn State Berks will collect data to analyze how curricular and co-curricular activities influence STEM identity and disseminate findings in the areas of STEM persistence and role identity.

Ryan Hassler, teaching professor of mathematics at Penn State Berks, is the principal investigator on the grant, along with co-principal investigators Dawn Pfeifer Reitz, associate teaching professor of communication arts and sciences, and Janelle Larson, division head of engineering, business and computing at Penn State Berks. Other senior personnel on the grant include Sonia Delaquito, coordinator of the Learning Center, and Catherine Cohan, assistant research professor in the Center for Engineering Outreach and Inclusion at Penn State University Park, who will provide program evaluation support.

“I am excited to welcome our third cohort of LION STEM Scholars to Penn State Berks. I look forward to supporting each of these scholars in their respective engineering disciplines as we analyze their STEM persistence as a byproduct of their developing STEM identities,” Hassler said. “Through targeted interventions, this program will provide students with academic and co-curricular support across their four-year engineering degrees at Penn State. The financial support provided by the National Science Foundation will be nothing short of a life-changer for those who might otherwise not be able to afford higher education.” 

Hassler also is the coordinator of the Penn State Berks Engineering Ahead program. He explained that 38% of the students enrolled at Penn State Berks are eligible for federal Pell grants. Hassler was interested in applying for the NSF S-STEM grant because many economically disadvantaged students are not able to complete their degrees due to financial limitations. The LION STEM Scholars Program will provide some of the funds these students need to complete their degrees.

"This scholarship greatly helps me with supporting my college education. Being from out-of-state and first-gen already proposes challenges; being part of the third cohort ensures that I have a sort of community built up before school, a closer connection to staff and faculty, and more opportunities to grow," Donoho said.

“The LION STEM Scholars Program is an exciting opportunity program that builds on the success of the Engineering Ahead project, which was also initially also funded by the National Science Foundation. The short-term goal is to increase the success of talented Berks students who want to major in engineering and who have documented financial need. The long-term goal is to improve students’ social mobility and overall diversity in the engineering workforce,” added Cohan.

“Being a LION STEM Scholar was an honor,” Maftei said. “This scholarship will help me tackle my education at Penn State without the burden of financial stress. I can focus my efforts on my studies instead of worrying about affording my tuition. This scholarship gives me a head start in my education since I come from an economically disadvantaged background.”

For more information on the LION STEM Scholars Program, contact Hassler at RSH14@psu.edu or visit the LION STEM Scholars website.