New UNCP, NCSSM Partnership Expands STEM Opportunities in Southeastern North Carolina

Standing in the middle of a cattle pasture, Hannah Ahn watched as a veterinarian performed an ultrasound on a cow to determine whether she was pregnant. For the rising freshman at Jack Britt High School who hopes to become a veterinarian, it wasn’t something she had read about in a textbook — it was a glimpse into her future.

“It was very eye-opening because I want to be a veterinarian,” Ahn said. “It showed me exactly what I would do, and not from a textbook perspective, but through hands-on experience.”

That experience was just one highlight of Step Up to STEM, a weeklong residential program offered for the first time at UNCP through a new partnership with the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM). The program brought 50 rising ninth-grade students from southern and southeastern North Carolina to campus this summer for an immersive introduction to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The partnership extends NCSSM’s STEM outreach into southern and southeastern North Carolina while drawing on UNCP’s faculty expertise, laboratories and residential campus to give students in the region greater access to immersive STEM experiences.

“This partnership gives students across southeastern North Carolina more opportunities to discover what is possible through STEM,” said UNCP Chancellor Robin Gary Cummings. “By bringing together NCSSM’s STEM programming with UNC Pembroke’s faculty and facilities, we are giving young people the opportunity to experience STEM in meaningful, hands-on ways and to see that a future in these fields is within their reach.”

NCSSM Chancellor Todd Roberts said NCSSM was excited to partner with UNCP to extend access to STEM education in southeastern North Carolina

"The setting was wonderful for the program and the faculty and staff at UNCP were incredible to work with,” Roberts said. “This summer’s first group of students engaged deeply with interesting STEM courses in a fantastic university setting. I hope many of them were inspired to explore these disciplines more deeply in high school and college, and even as a possible direction for their career.”

Living in residence halls, attending college-level classes and collaborating with peers from across the region, students experienced university life while exploring STEM through real-world applications. Courses in mathematics, genetics and genomics, and biotechnology were taught by UNCP faculty Doug McBroom, Dr. Nico Pereira and Dr. Maria Santisteban. Outside the classroom, students participated in enrichment activities, toured campus and visited a local cattle farm where they observed veterinary science in action.

Dr. Gerri Cole, associate director of STEM Access and Outreach at NCSSM, said the program is designed to reach students at a pivotal point in their academic journey.

“Our goal is to provide opportunities for students to have access to STEM during a crucial year,” Cole said. “Research shows that as students enter high school they tend to shy away from challenging subjects. This is an opportunity not only to introduce students to STEM, but to show them that they do belong in these fields.”

For many participants, the week marked their first time living on a college campus.

“It was amazing,” Ahn said. “I can really say that I experienced the college experience, and it made me want to succeed even more, get into college and pursue my academic career.”

She also credited the faculty for making students feel welcome from the moment they arrived.

“The faculty and professors were very helpful,” she said. “They wanted to help you succeed even though they had just met you. They really wanted to help you achieve what you want in life.”

John Trebil, a rising freshman at Swansboro High School, discovered a new interest in biology after participating in a genetics activity involving fruit fly gene annotation.

“My favorite was having the opportunity to annotate a gene in Drosophila ananassae , a fruit fly species,” Trebil said. “That was really interesting.”

The week also helped him envision what college could look like.

“It was my first time staying overnight on a college campus for a week,” he said. “Now I have an idea of what dorms are like, and I think I’m well prepared for college one day.”

For Cole, those moments of discovery are exactly what the program is designed to create.

“College is no longer something foreign to them,” she said. “Programs like Step Up to STEM show students that higher education is attainable while expanding their vision of what’s possible. They’re introduced to subjects they may never have encountered before, and they begin to see themselves succeeding in those fields.”