Kaelyn Brown started with Science Club for Girls at the age of 6. She participated in our
Science Clubs through elementary and middle school, became a Junior Mentor in high school, served as a volunteer Mentor while in college, and now––after completing an undergraduate degree in Neuroscience from Harvard College and a graduate degree in Clinical Neuroscience from Oxford University––is a part of SCFG's staff for one year while applying to medical school.
Kaelyn's involvement with Science Club for Girls over the past 17 years exemplifies both the long-term investment SCFG makes in girls and young women AND the long-term impact at the heart of our mission.
Kaelyn says of her experience as a Science Club participant:
"That was the thing about SCFG. In a world where I constantly felt as though I had to prove people wrong, prove my intelligence, prove why I deserved to be in the room, at Science Clubs it was different. Instead, with every success, every major milestone, it felt as though I was proving my SCFG community right. I could excel. I was going to be a scientist and a good one at that."
In a speech at the Symphony for Science event last spring at Symphony Hall, Kaelyn shared:
"Over the years, Science Club has continued to be a great source of inspiration that has shaped my future aspirations. In Clubs, I was encouraged to ask questions, write down my ideas, and find answers. Once I entered high school I became a Junior Mentor to give back to the organization that gave me so much as a younger girl. As I progressed to higher level courses, Science Club continued to influence my confidence and enthusiasm in STEM."
She continued:
"As a Black girl attending school in a predominantly white school district, this was extremely important. Being surrounded by curious girls and passionate women who also looked like me kept me excited about science, my future, and my potential. I rarely questioned my goal of becoming a Black neuroscientist because I had already met one in Science Club and for that I’m forever grateful."
Kaelyn was recently interviewed alongside SCFG's Executive Director, Dr. Bonnie Bertolaet, by the STEM Advocacy Institute (SAI). Click below to watch the interview!
In this interview, Kaelyn talks about the incredible power of presenting complex scientific concepts to young people in a way that is accessible...and how amazing it is to witness their "AHA!" moments as well as the confidence and sense of expanded possibilities that follow. She also says:
"The community that SCFG has is so strong and has given me so many of my amazing friends. I think that community is something that I fall back on and that uplifts me throughout all the stages of my life."
Thank you for being a guiding light in our community, Kaelyn!
