Jane Street and Hudson River Trading Summer STEM Scholars

We are immensely proud to announce the recipients of the inaugural Jane Street and Hudson River Trading Summer STEM Stipends, awarded to BEAM students in partnership with Jane Street Capital and Hudson River Trading.

At BEAM, we are working to make sure our students get access to the same sorts of STEM enrichment opportunities that their affluent peers already have, especially academic summer programs. To that end, we help students find and apply to rigorous summer programs like Mathcamp, PROMYS, and more. This year, thanks to our corporate partners, we have been able to extend that support even further.

Designed for BEAM Pathway high school students, the Summer STEM Stipends are designed to address the fact that students who attend summer programs often cannot take summer jobs, which they and their families may be counting on. The stipends reduce the pressure of having to choose between getting paid for a summer job and participating in an intensive summer program. Attending such programs allows our students to explore diverse topics in STEM and prepares them for college and beyond.

+ Alexis M., LA

Canada/USA Mathcamp

What excites me about STEM in general is the complete vastness of it. Before, this used to annoy me as whenever I tried to learn something, there seemed to be a lot left about it to learn. This still holds true today, but instead of being annoyed, I'm pumped to try learning everything that there is to know about the subject despite the futility of the attempt. My interest in math has grown ever since I first became a part of BEAM, but to be honest, my interest in STEM did not truly start until this year. I was somewhat intimidated by the vastness of STEM and even math. If something was too vast of a subject, I'd simply learn the basics and move on. This was certainly not mollified during quarantine, a test to my motivation. However, during the past year, I have gotten the chance to meet and reacquaint myself with some amazing people, both through programs like BEAM and my school. They showed me that not only was there a huge lack in what I know, but that there was a reason for me to learn more about anything that I find even remotely interesting. To put it bluntly, I was made painfully aware just how much I don’t know about math. The reason why I am going to Mathcamp is based on this fact. I chose it in order to learn more about math in not only number theory, but in everything about it. I want to be able to be confident in what I know while being proud to show it, and I believe that Mathcamp will help me reach this goal.

+ Andrew M., NYC

BCC pre-college cybersecurity and NYU Center for Mathematical Talent

My name is Andrew and I have been interested in STEM, specifically math, for a long time. My Algebra 1 class in middle school is what first piqued my interest because I began to view math as a kind of puzzle or maze, which is what made math really fun to solve. My deep love for math led me to BEAM, where I applied for and got accepted into Summer Away at the end of my 7th-grade year. While I was excited to be learning new things (and going away from home for three weeks), to say I wasn't scared would be a lie. However, Summer Away ended up being one of the most memorable and enjoyable experiences that I have ever had.
After the summer, BEAM helped me throughout middle school and now in high school. I have attended Saturday classes, educational events, and am part of a community where I am surrounded by like-minded people and positive mentors. This summer I plan to attend two programs: a pre-college cybersecurity program at Bronx Community College and the NYU Center for Mathematical Talent Summer Math Program for Young Scholars. While I hope to pursue a career in computer science, I am very interested in the world of cybersecurity so these two programs will help me further my education, allowing me to branch out and see what I am truly passionate about.

+ Aria N., LA

GRACE Summer Program

My name is Aria, and I am 14 years old, currently a rising 4th former (10th grade) at The Groton School in Massachusetts. I grew up in downtown Los Angeles where, as an only child, I spent a lot of time with my mom and dad, often doing activities that combine fun and hands-on learning, such as creating abstract art with colorful paper cutouts, making 3D objects with origami, making pretend foods with homemade edible & colorful playdough, and cooking/baking. I was amazed to discover that many of the activities involved math and science, especially cooking and baking which requires real science, bringing together math and chemistry to create delicious food! I love that in math, there is always one clear answer, even though there can be many different ways of solving it. Being a part of BEAM since 2019 has given me access to an awesome environment where I have grown as a student of STEM. BEAM has also helped me learn how a team can effectively work together to solve problems.
I will be a part of the GRACE program this summer at The Groton School, which will allow me to go directly to AP chemistry and AP biology without having to take additional classes during the next school year. I will also have an opportunity to participate in weekday activities such as swimming, hiking, canoeing, theater, and art programs. On the weekends we’ll be able to go off campus for cultural and sightseeing adventures. It will be a great way to bond with my fellow students through not only shared academic interests, but also through the fun extracurricular activities.
I am very excited to continue learning and growing with BEAM in 2022.

+ Ashley V., LA

Pomona College Academy for Youth Success

Since an early age, I seemed to easily understand all the math lessons at school, or got the hang of it quickly even when harder stuff was thrown at me. Overall, I didn't hate math, but at the same time I didn't love math, because, well, it wasn't very exciting. Then, my 6th grade year (2019), I got the opportunity to apply for BEAM. Pretty quickly I realized that BEAM math isn’t like the normal school problems or lessons. These were challenging riddles, puzzles, patterns, anything you can imagine, and you bet I wanted to solve as many as I could. Math was actually exciting! Then, I did BEAM Summer Away during the pandemic online. It was just like the previous year, but harder, which you can guess made it even more fun. BEAM has changed the way I see math forever. Because of them, I can proudly say that I love exploring math and can't wait to explore it more in years to come.
This year I decided to apply for Pomona College Academy for Youth Success. There I will be able to live and take classes at Pomona College, allowing me to experience college life for four weeks. I chose this program because the classes that they offered were intriguing. For example, an elective I picked as my first choice is called "Trillionaire Grindset: Scams and Schemes." I'm also the oldest sibling in the family, so I have to not only be responsible and set a good example for myself, but also for my younger siblings. Being able to live and take classes in Pomona, will give me time to focus on myself fully. Overall, I am looking forward to the summer and hope to have fun!

+ Brandon C., NYC

Center for Talented Youth Engineering

My name is Brandon. I am currently going to Bard High School Early College as a freshman. I really love math/STEM. I am especially excited about learning new things and different ways of solving problems. My interest in math started in 5th grade with multiplication and division. I was pretty good at them and fast, too. But what really influenced my love for math was BEAM. At BEAM I learned interesting topics like logic and problem solving. The best part was that I was surrounded by people who liked what I liked and were obsessed about math as much as me.
This summer I am in a program called Center for Talented Youth, which I learned about through BEAM. Through CTY, I was assigned a personal advisor who will help me go to my dream college and be a great help, and I have access to a bunch of math/STEM classes. What I really hope to get from this program is to find what I am passionate about. I can try multiple classes and explore new topics. In the end I think I’ll find myself liking even more topics.

+ Cindy T. NYC

NY Bioforce

Hi, my name is Cindy! I started my STEM journey when I was in the 6th grade. At the time, I’d always done well in math and science class, but I wouldn’t say that I had a passion for them. During the summer of 6th grade, I attended BEAM Discovery where I learned advanced math, and while I did very much enjoy it, I didn't know if I wanted to continue. This changed in 7th grade when I attended BEAM Summer Away. Attending BEAM for the two summers allowed me to see the beauty in math and STEM especially when I realized that mistakes are a part of the process of learning. I was able to step out of my comfort zone, and the experiences that BEAM gave me spurred my curiosity and desire to learn more. After BEAM, I was determined to further explore my interests in STEM through programs and internships. In the past few years, I’ve participated in GOALS for Girls, HK Maker Lab at Columbia University, and the Navigators internship at the Intrepid Museum.
This summer, I am interning at NY Bioforce, a life science research program. I hope to gain valuable lab research skills during my time in the program and to form a lifelasting mentor-mentee relationship with my mentor.

+ Daniel M., NYC

Cooper Union STEM and NYU Center for Talented Youth

My math journey started when I was around 5 or 6 years old. I found I had a knack for chess while playing with my dad and older sister. Realizing I could beat my older sister in a game I had just learned how to play was an incredible feeling and really jump started my love for puzzles and logic games. From then on, I would always try to get my hands on any brain teasers or small puzzles, trying to take things apart or put them back together when I inevitably broke them. By around age 10 I was also learning origami, trying to fold different dinosaurs and model airplanes in my spare time. These two are what pushed me to learn more in math and try to figure out things for myself, not just wait around until I was taught more in school.
BEAM Discovery is what kicked my learning into high gear and set me up for learning at super fast paces. Before Discovery, I had been mostly homeschooled and never experienced the normal speed of school or math class. Instead of being able to learn at my own pace, I found myself having to pay attention for more than an hour and trying to teach myself a topic I did not fully understand once I got home. While this did not feel ideal at the time, BEAM allowed me to take leaps forward in my education and get ready for incredibly more challenging schools and summer camps.

+ Daniel T., LA

Summer Multicultural Engineering Training

Challenging myself in the field of mathematics has always been my passion, but I didn’t always have the opportunity. I am grateful to have been a part of BEAM starting when I was in 7th grade. Ever since then I have learned about math that I didn't even know existed before. While I have always “liked” math, this school year I became truly passionate about math. This year I decided to self-study for the AP Calculus BC exam while learning algebra 2 and pre-calculus. It was a bit of a challenge but I really enjoyed it. I finally got the challenge I was looking for. I learned so much new math that I have begun looking into careers in the field of math and science as a result. I came across the field of engineering and that's when my interest to learn more about engineering began. As a result I looked into engineering summer programs to learn more about this field. I am really excited to learn about engineering this summer and I am really thankful for having these opportunities.

+ Emmanuela B., NYC

NYU Center for Mathematical Talent

What excites me most about math is its endless possibilities. You can find math in arts, in literature and throughout history. The concepts of math dominate our whole world, especially because technology and the internet have become so widespread.
BEAM has given me the opportunity to take classes that let me think about math abstractly. I always loved math for its straightforwardness, but being a part of BEAM made me realize just how complicated math really is. For instance, the Counting to Infinity class I took this past year where we discussed what infinity is, and how we can reach it (if we even can). I am so used to getting definite answers in math that the class really made me think harder about numbers and equations that I didn’t know existed. All of this increased my interest in math because I became so eager to learn the unknown. I had to toss out all I thought I knew about math to think from scratch, to relearn what math was or what it wasn’t. This is what makes math most engaging; it's never the same, especially as you get to higher level math.
This summer I will be attending NYU Center for Mathematical Talent for three weeks. I chose to do this program because similar to BEAM, I know it will give me a wider experience across STEM fields and how math is being used to help society. At NYU I will have a chance to explore many STEM careers through their hands-on approach! This will definitely help me as a rising senior when deciding my major for college or picking interests for college. I am super excited to see how I will grow!

+ Helen G., NYC

Cooper Union Summer STEM

I have always had an interest in math/STEM. I first was involved with BEAM during the summer of 7th grade when I did BEAM Summer Away, where I learned college-level math for three weeks, plus did fun activities and met new people. One of the classes that I really enjoyed was Binary Numbers since they’re used for computers and depending on the series of numbers you write there is a different meaning. I have also taken BEAM Saturday classes where the things I've learned include finance, classic puzzles, and mass point geometry theorem. All of these classes have challenged me to think about things in a different way whether that be to find new solutions to a challenging problem or just make educated predictions to see if this week will be a good week for the stock market.
BEAM has also been very helpful in helping me find summer programs. My main interest in summer programs was anything related to engineering or business. Last year I had the opportunity to be at Cooper Union for the summer and learn about civil engineering. This year I will participate in Cooper Union again but this time I am taking the next-gen construction materials class. Being able to do a program is very important to me because I enjoy being busy and I'm also learning about topics that are going to benefit me in the future and that continue to increase my love for STEM. I am hoping to continue to participate in summer programs for the rest of my high school time and maybe get involved in other programs during the year that have to do with STEM.

+ Jacqueline O.-V., LA

Pomona College Academy for Youth Success

I've always been a fan of math but one class during BEAM Discovery is what made me love it. What I like about math is solving problems and ending up with a clear, universal answer. Some of the classes were so engaging that I willingly took notes for them even when they weren't required! This summer, I'll be attending PAYS, Pomona College Academy for Youth Success. I hope that by the end of this program, I make new friends and learn skills outside of just academics.

+ Lorraine A., NYC

School of Interactive Arts

Something that excites me about math is there is a right answer. But there are also many ways of solving questions, which is useful if you don't know how to do them at first. Something I do outside of BEAM that helps my interest in STEM is learning how to code. I have been learning JavaScript in BEAM's Saturday classes and teaching myself HTML. School of Interactive Arts is the summer program I'm joining because of the coding classes. I enjoy playing games and this summer program is going to help me learn how to create a game. I'm also interested in coding and want to learn more about it. After the program, I hope to make a game about animals and have more knowledge about coding.

+ Maxine H., LA

Brown Pre-College

I have always been encouraged to excel in STEM subjects by my family; however, my love for math in particular fluctuated throughout elementary and middle school. Sometimes it seemed like math was only about tedious exercises strictly working through the textbook; it wasn’t until 6th grade that my love for mathematics was solidified thanks to an amazing teacher who taught me how exciting math can be. This developed into a passion for math when I attended the BEAM summer camp and discovered all of these new aspects of math I had never explored before. Math became an exciting challenge of puzzles and games and cryptology and theories where I was immediately drawn into the challenge. This summer I have the wonderful opportunity to attend an online course at Brown Pre-College about Mathematical Game Theory. I would never have pursued this if not for BEAM’s encouragement and support. While I’m nervous about the level of work offered by a university course, I know that I am up for the challenge.

+ Maya P., NYC

Fordham STEP

Math excites me because it allows me to use my problem-solving skills to find answers to problems. Math helps me to think logically and to think about every step of the problem, in order to find the correct answer. STEM excites me because it combines some of my favorite things: science, engineering, and math. In addition, it allows me to use my hands to create and build new inventions, and to work with other people to solve a problem. At BEAM, I attended classes, including and a patterns and sequences class, that helped my interest in math grow because they allowed me to think logically and to use my critical-thinking skills to accurately solve difficult word problems. BEAM also introduced to me a course about astrobiology called, The Art of Inquiry. In The Art of Inquiry, I learned how space travel affects the human body and how space affects the world around us. This course helped my interest in STEM grow because it allowed me to think about how everything in the universe is connected. Also, my astrobiology group, in the Art of Inquiry, is one of the finalists in the WorldBuild AI Competition.
The program I am attending this summer is the Fordham STEP Program. I chose to attend this program because it introduces students to the math and science courses that they will be taking in September. I hope to learn about the introductions to geometry and biology and to learn more about the different career paths in STEM, to help me figure out which career path I should take in the future.

+ Rawin H., NYC

Canada/USA Mathcamp

My passion for mathematics all started at BEAM Summer Away, and since then it has only grown more and more. I have been to various other math programs such as MathPath, and PROMYS and had a lot of fun while I was at both of them. The thing that I find interesting about math is that it is the closest thing to an absolute truth we can find in our lives. It is also really challenging so it makes me feel great whenever I solve a particularly challenging problem.
The program I am attending this summer is Canada/USA Mathcamp and I really want to go to this one because it is supposed to be a more advanced version of MathPath and that was a place where I encountered so many new people and concepts for me to think about. I am hoping to replicate that experience this summer at Mathcamp.

+ Sean C., LA

All Star Code

Hello, I'm Sean, and I am an avid reader! I've loved BEAM for a long time now. Because of BEAM I now look at math differently. Once I was more interested in creative writing than STEM, but I now realize that STEM gives the same infinite possibilities as creative writing does. At first glance I didn't realize STEM could connect with many other careers/interests/paths. BEAM helped me see that.
The program I've chosen is called All Star Code. I chose this program because I can learn how to script code, which opens up so many new possibilities. What could I come up with once I know how to create art, or a game, or anything else within the realm of code? I'm excited for this!

+ Zain E. J., NYC

School of Interactive Arts

Something that excites me about Math/STEM is the challenges, logical thinking, and progression. There is always something new to learn! BEAM's summer program helped me understand math in a logical way like a puzzle. I have been doing math for many years at a Kumon Center. Both of these helped my interest in math grow, as I now tutor math to younger children from grades K-8.
I am attending a few programs this summer such as SIA Game Design Summer Camp, and Inspirit AI. I chose these programs because of the hands-on learning, and challenging activities. I hope to learn a lot about STEM and AI in these two programs.