Scholar Testimonials

"OpSTEM grew my drive to mentor others because of the mentoring that I received in the program. I wanted to give back to others so that maybe I could be the person to make math approachable to someone else. I love Calculus and I never would have imagined that that would be true!"

- Savanna Armbruster, 2014 OpSTEM Scholar

"OpSTEM showed us that math is not as intimidating as it has been made out to be, and provided all of the resources to make sure we were supported."

- Lauren Blasinsky, 2015 OpSTEM Scholar

"As a student, the summer institute allowed me to get accustomed to the college environment and get to know my fellow classmates and build relationships with professors and advisors."

- Cedric Crawford, 2016 OpSTEM Scholar

"OpSTEM helped me academically in many ways. I learned how to use math with one of my favorite things, music. I learned to like math again. Having the support system of the STEM Peer Teachers was very comforting."

- Kendra Dennis, 2015 OpSTEM Scholar

"The OpSTEM program allowed me to be surrounded by STEM-oriented peers, which catalyzed my latent abilities and passion for science and mathematics. This allowed me to become an NSF graduate fellow and publish research while at the University of Chicago as a PhD student."

- Niksa Praljak, 2016 OpSTEM Scholar

"The most memorable part of the OpSTEM program was that it provided a platform for connecting with fellow individuals who shared my aspirations and interests. The friends I made during my time in OpSTEM played a pivotal role in my academic journey at CSU, culminating in the attainment of my degree."

- Ken Shepherd, 2018 OpSTEM Scholar

"Participating in OpSTEM gave me my 'place' in college. Many of the friends that I made in my time at Cleveland State, were through OpSTEM. What started as working through homework problems together turned into being a support system for each other."

- Hannah Verba, 2017 OpSTEM Scholar