Mentor Spotlight: How Ashley Cooper is Bridging Science, Care, and Community
- scfg94
- Dec 30, 2025
- 3 min read
When Ashley Cooper leads a Science Club, she brings more than her background in neuroscience and anthropology. She brings care. She brings curiosity. And she brings a vision of science that is as much about empathy and connection as it is about data and discovery.
Today, Ashley is a second-year PhD student in the History of Science and Medicine at Yale University, where she studies the history of psychiatry and examines how social realities, like stigma and structural barriers, intersect with scientific practice. Her fascination with mental health grew from personal experiences that showed her “how deeply science is intertwined with social life.” She added that, “Medicine doesn’t exist above society; it’s shaped by it.”
That awareness has guided not only her research, but also her eight-year journey with Science Club for Girls (SCFG), where she has served as a Mentor, Co-Director of the Harvard Chapter, Curriculum and Evaluation Manager (on the Staff), and currently as an Honorary Board Member.
Photos by Jon Chase/2020Harvard Staff Photographer
Her Journey Within the SCFG Community
Ashley first discovered SCFG as a Harvard first-year student exploring ways to connect her love of science with her desire to serve others. She signed up to volunteer at a Science Clubs in Cambridge and never looked back.
“I absolutely love Science Club for Girls,” Ashley said. “It’s been such a transformative part of my life.” Over the past eight years, she’s mentored girls across age groups, from curious second graders to confident middle schoolers preparing to become Junior Mentors themselves.
That continuity, seeing her students grow year after year, is what keeps her coming back. “One of the most rewarding experiences has been watching a student I worked with in second grade become a Junior Mentor,” she reflected. “Now, she’s helping younger girls explore science with the same excitement she once had. It really shows how this program builds confidence and identity over time.”
The Power of Representation and Belonging
Growing up attending public schools in New Jersey, Ashley didn’t have access to programs like SCFG. She recalls moments in labs where her voice wasn’t always heard. “I often felt isolated as a Black woman in science spaces,” she said. “There was a system I couldn’t quite name back then, a system of exclusion. That’s why Science Club for Girls means so much to me now. It’s the program I wish I’d had.”
For Ashley, seeing how girls evolve through the program, finding their voice, embracing curiosity, and realizing they belong in STEM, is profoundly meaningful. “They start out shy or uncertain,” she said, “and then they’re the ones raising their hands first, leading experiments, and helping others. That transformation is revolutionary.”
Building a Culture of Care
Much of Ashley’s mentorship philosophy centers around one word: care. Whether she’s teaching a neuroscience activity or leading a group discussion, she believes that creating a caring, affirming space is fundamental to learning.
“I always start with a name game,” she explained, smiling. “Each girl says her name with an adjective and a dance move. It’s silly, but it matters. It helps everyone feel recognized and comfortable.”
That care-centered approach extends beyond the classroom. During her time as SCFG’s Curriculum and Evaluation Manager, Ashley wove social and emotional learning into every activity, encouraging girls not just to think scientifically, but to connect with science as a joyful, creative, and collaborative process.
She also oversaw the design and evaluation of new curricula in archaeology, biotech, and evolutionary biology, ensuring lessons were developmentally appropriate and accessible.
Mentorship – Not Just a Network, but a Community
Ashley sees SCFG as a living ecosystem of learning, one where every participant, every Mentor, contributes to the growth of the whole.
“There are these beautiful multi-directional relationships happening all the time,” she said. “Mentors learn from each other. Junior Mentors learn from older Mentors. And participants learn from both. It’s not just a top-down structure, it’s a community.”
Ashley Cooper (middle) and Kaelyn Brown (right) with Science Club for Girls Executive
Director Bonnie Bertolaet.
That community extends into the logistics that make the program possible, from grant writing to assembling hands-on experiment kits. All elements that Ashely now helps oversee as an Honorary Board Member. “People don’t always realize how much love and labor goes into making sure every kit, every lesson, every activity reaches the girls at no cost,” she said. “The fact that SCFG is free and still so comprehensive is extraordinary.”