ComEd STEM Labs Encourage 50 High School Students to Consider Careers in STEM this Women’s History Month
ComEd STEM Labs connect students with STEM professionals to learn more about career opportunities
CHICAGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–As part of its Women’s History Month celebration and to help encourage high school students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, ComEd hosted its STEM Labs event on Saturday, March 22 in Chicago, where 50 local high school students joined more than 25 ComEd professionals for a day of mentoring and networking.
“Careers in STEM fields are open to all, and we are committed to ensuring the next generation of women have opportunities for successful, rewarding and lucrative careers in STEM spaces,” said Cheryl Maletich, Senior Vice President of Transmission and Substation at ComEd. “Programs like the ComEd’s STEM Labs build students’ experience, inspire their imagination, and put them on a path to success as they consider their personal career journeys.”
Under the national Women’s History Month theme of “Moving Forward Together,” the students attended a Women in STEM panel featuring Cheryl Maletich, Senior Vice President of Transmission and Substation at ComEd; Najwa Abouhassan, Senior Manager Operations Planning at ComEd; Jessica Jaramillo, Manager of Transmission and Substation at ComEd; and Kimberly Moore, Founder and CEO of KDM Engineering and founder of Calculated Genius, Inc., a Chicago-based non-profit dedicated to helping young women of color pursue STEM careers. The panel was moderated by Traci Briscoe, president of the Network of Exelon Women – Chicago, a ComEd employee resource group. Following the panel, students had the opportunity to network with 25 female ComEd employees to build their professional networks, identify potential mentors and learn more about the unique paths that lead the professionals in attendance to their careers.
“Representation and mentorship are critical for building the next generation of STEM leaders,” said Kimberly Moore, Founder and CEO of KDM Engineering and Founder of Calculated Genius, Inc. “It’s not just about sparking interest—it’s about sustaining it by showing young women that they belong in these spaces, that their voices matter, and that there’s a powerful community ready to support them. I’m proud to partner with an organization such as ComEd, that helps make those connections real.”
While making up over half the students who graduate from college, only 28 percent of STEM professionals are women, according to a study from MIT. By providing female high school students with the opportunity to hear from and network with successful women in STEM, ComEd is taking steps to close the gender gap in the STEM workforce and providing mentorship to continue encouraging these students to pursue impactful careers in STEM.
With increased electrification, data and technology in our daily lives, STEM career opportunities will continue to grow throughout northern Illinois, providing family-sustaining careers for many developing professionals. ComEd STEM Labs is one example of how ComEd is preparing more students across northern Illinois to become leaders in the clean-energy transition by jump starting their STEM interest and education trajectory. Since the ComEd STEM Labs program began in 2015, approximately 2,000 students from across the region have participated in a variety of events to inspire their STEM future and connect them with ComEd mentors.
Additional STEM and scholarship programs include ComEd’s Construct Youth Academy, Tools of the Trade, Future of Energy Scholarships and After School Matters. These programs all focus on giving diverse groups of students greater exposure to the possibilities of STEM. ComEd STEM Labs is one of the many programs ComEd sponsors to encourage more students of color and women to pursue STEM careers.
To learn more about ComEd STEM programs, visit ComEd.com/STEM.
ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ: EXC), a Fortune 200 energy company serving more than 10.7 million electricity and natural gas customers—the largest number of customers in the U.S. ComEd powers the lives of more than 4 million customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state’s population. For more information, visit ComEd.com, and connect with the company on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and YouTube.
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