Exelon Foundation STEM AcademyBoys Winners - Exelon Foundation STEM Academy

Location: Clementon, NJ

College: Rutgers University

Major: Electrical, Electronics & Communications Engineering

Alyssa Beckett is honored to be a 2023 Exelon STEM Leadership Academy Scholarship recipient. She will be pursuing a career in Civil Engineering as a Freshman at Virginia Tech while also being a member of the Hokie’s Cheerleading Team. She graduated from Liberty High School in Sykesville, MD and was dual enrolled at Carroll Community College. She completed the “Project Lead the Way,” Mechanical Engineering program and interned with Northrop Grumman. She participated and volunteered in the Women in Transportation: Transportation YOU located in Philadelphia, PA. and worked as an Ambassador/Team Lead at Noodles & Co. While helping her School Advisor she helped win a grant which awarded her high school $400 to buy educational materials in hopes of preventing students from vaping or smoking.

Her aptitude for science, math, and competitive cheerleading has been the guiding light on her academic and personal journey. Little did she know that these passions would lead her to a transformative experience, one that she will never forget. It all started with a knock on her door on July 24th, 2021 when two women hand-delivered a box filled with STEM materials, an iPad, and balloons that bore the words “Exelon STEM Leadership Academy.” This was just the beginning of a journey that would change her life forever and expose her to what would become a new family of like-minded individuals. She never knew that a small activity such as creating a solar-powered oven would introduce her to awhole world full of possibilities. This eye-opening experience allowed her to realize that she has the ability to make a difference in the world. While making a small snack in the solar-powered oven was fun, she is eager to face these challenges on a much larger scale throughout her career.

Her experience with Exelon has transformed her from a shy young girl to an ambitious, confident woman in and out of the classroom. The unique opportunities that this program offered, including networking with professionals at a luncheon, touring a nuclear power plant, and attending a Washington Nationals game, opened her eyes to the possibilities of the energy sector and made her passionate about pursuing a career that can help mitigate climate change. These unparalleled educational experiences have brought a supportive community into her life that continues to propel her towards success. This Academy has been a catalyst for her personal and professional growth, and she is grateful for the opportunities and support that Exelon has provided her to pursue her dreams.

Abigail Cooley is a 2023 recipient of the Exelon STEM Leadership Academy Scholarship and is currently studying engineering at Lafayette College. She began her involvement in her community at a very young age with her father. Matt Cooley was a politically-active member of the Ambler Borough and offered Abby the opportunity to test her own skills volunteering at the polls on election days and working with others on trash clean up days. 

As she got older, Abby was able to define her own style of community service. At 12 years old, she started by creating a petition for a swing set to be erected in the local park. She knocked on doors, collecting over two hundred and fifty signatures, and then presented her case to the Borough Council. Six months later, a swing set was in the park. 

Towards the end of middle school and beginning of high school, Abby began to discover her love of math and science. She fostered this love by seeking out STEM challenges such as the Invention Convention, PA Media and Design Competition, and the MIT Sustainability Challenge. The PA Media and Design Competition was a state-wide 3D design (CAD) competition in which she received 2nd place. Most notably, the nation-wide MIT Sustainability Challenge was a group competition in which participants were tasked with researching, designing, and compiling solutions to specific ethical and environmental world problems. In 2020, her group worked to create the blueprint for a more eco-friendly transportation network in Boston. In 2021, her group focused on the health crisis known as the “Alabama Sewage Crisis.” They achieved the 2nd place award both years. 

Abby concluded high school by combining her two loves of STEM and community service. She started a program to introduce an individualized STEM learning program for elementary school-age girls of color. She is incredibly grateful for the chance to have met so many creative, funny, and kind young girls. The Exelon Corporation’s efforts to invite women into the field of STEM represent the same values that Abby has focused on throughout the past few years. She is thankful for this scholarship and proud to be working with an ethical company!

Jillian Kouzmanoff, a recipient of the esteemed Exelon STEM Leadership Academy Scholarship in 2023, is ready to embark on her academic journey as an incoming freshman at the University of Illinois in Urbana Champaign. With a major in Mechanical Engineering, Jillian aspires to make a meaningful impact in the energy sector, working towards bridging the gender gap and advancing clean energy initiatives.

Jillian’s passion for engineering was sparked in her childhood, where she heard inspiring stories about her grandmother, a Mechanical Engineer who faced discrimination due to her gender but never wavered in her pursuit of respect. Despite her high school’s limited resources for women in engineering, Jillian found solace and support within the Exelon STEM Academy in 2021. It was through this program that her interest in the engineering aspects of energy ignited. Engaging in the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 Mentorship Programs, she gained invaluable knowledge and became a STEM Ambassador, traveling throughout her community and immersing the youth in energy-related activities, fostering their curiosity and passion for STEM.

Jillian’s determination to make a positive impact extends beyond engineering. Throughout high school, she dedicated much of her free time to community service projects, ranging from packaging food for underprivileged families to organizing goody bags for kindness days, spreading love and kindness among the youth. Her involvement in various volunteering groups, such as the National Honor Society, Highland Community College Servant Leadership, Key Club, and National Art Honor Society showcases her strong belief in the power of education and giving back.

Driven by her commitment to knowledge, Jillian fully immersed herself in her education during high school. Taking dual enrollment classes with Highland Community College, she achieved a GPA of over 4.0. Her academic achievements have been recognized with honors, including the State Accommodation Toward Biliteracy, the President’s Education Awards Program for Outstanding Academic Excellence, and the Physics Award.

At the University of Illinois, Jillian’s abilities have earned her a place in the exclusive Chancellor’s Honors Program, reserved for only 125 first-year students. Eager to connect with like-minded individuals and continue her pursuit of empowering women in engineering, she has joined the Women in Engineering organization on campus. Additionally, she looks forward to participating in renowned groups such as the Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Society of Women Engineers, where she can actively contribute to the advancement of her field.

Jillian’s journey is a testament to her gratitude for the opportunities she has received. She cherishes the unwavering support and sense of community she has found within the Exelon STEM Academy. The scholarship she has been granted serves as a constant reminder of the transformative power of hard work and determination in shaping young minds. Jillian is profoundly thankful for all that the scholarship will enable her to achieve and is motivated to inspire future generations to break free from stereotypes and pursue their dreams.

Carolyn is a recipient of the 2023 Exelon STEM Leadership Academy Scholarship. She graduated from the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at Richard Montgomery High School and is currently a sophomore chemical engineering major at the University of Maryland, College Park. She is in the Quality Enhancement Systems and Teams (QUEST) Honors program and the inaugural cohort of the Interdisciplinary Business Honors (IBH) program at UMD.

During high school, Carolyn received the opportunity to participate in the 2021 Exelon STEM Academy, where completing the energy challenge sparked her interest in the intersection of energy, engineering, and sustainability. To continue with the STEM Academy, Carolyn participated in both the 2022 and 2023 Mentorship Program. She also served as a student Mentor at the 2022 MD/DC STEM Academy, empowering girls with the confidence to pursue STEM. Additionally, as a youth staff at the 2022 NEED Youth Energy Conference, she oversaw middle school energy challenge groups to design their energy theme park project through the engineering design process. In school, Carolyn pursued her passions in energy and environmental sustainability through Science Olympiad, Envirothon, and Chemistry Club. She was President of Kids Are Scientists Too (KAST), a club dedicated to teaching science through fun hands-on activities to elementary schoolers.

Participating in the STEM Academy and NEED’s energy educational outreach inspired Carolyn to do the same for her community. In high school, as outreach captain of her FTC robotics team, she collaborated with peers to design, build, and program a robot to compete in annual challenges while expanding STEM outreach in the community. She founded Aspire, a STEM program empowering middle schoolers to explore STEM pathways and careers through interactive hands-on science experiments. She also invited professional engineers to speak about their engineering experience, connecting students with STEM professionals. Leading her robotics team to become a Motivate Award Finalist at the 2022 FIRST World Championship gave Carolyn the opportunity to create new educational outreach initiatives and dedicate 1000+ hours to teaching STEM topics to 500+ students throughout her high school career. Carolyn strongly believes that empowering students through STEM is more than just learning concepts, it is about spreading knowledge to create a lasting impact in underprivileged communities around us by having youth inspire youth.

Since starting college, Carolyn has become involved in various activities such as the ChemE Car Team and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. She serves on the student board for IBH where she works to implement feedback in program development and organize events. Carolyn is also a Clark School of Engineering Ambassador where she leads outreach events for younger students to inspire them to pursue engineering fields. In her free time, Carolyn loves practicing wushu at UMD’s TerpWushu Club and performing diabolo!

Through the journey of balancing academics and extracurriculars, Carolyn is excited to embrace new opportunities while leading and supporting the community around her. She is driven by her ability to help others and make the world a better place. Carolyn is excited to continue her journey with Exelon and to expand the STEM Academy’s mission of inspiring students to discover themselves as leaders in STEM.

I’m a 2022 recipient of the Exelon STEM Leadership Academy Scholarship and I’m currently studying mechanical engineering at Drexel University. While I was in middle school, I was interested in my school’s robotics team and eventually joined the FLL robotics team in 8th grade. We were able to advance to the national level and compete at the 2018 world competition in Detroit, Michigan. After I graduated from middle school, I attended Central High School, where I continued my interest in robotics and joined my school’s robotics team. I enjoyed being a part of the FTC team during my freshman year and eventually joined the FRC division of the robotics club and was a part of the electrical subgroup during my sophomore year. During that time, I joined other programs outside of high school, such as Access Engineering and the ACE Mentorship Program, where I was able to learn more about STEM and what it had to offer. Around this time, I had also heard about the Exelon STEM Academy and decided to apply in 2020. After I found out that I was accepted into the program, COVID-19 shut down the world.

Even though the whole world had to shut down and classes were moved onto Zoom, I preserved and continued to keep my morals high. During the lockdown, I spent more time with my family and picked up a new hobby of making hats and scarves, as well as picking up on old hobbies like building Lego sets. The academy was also moved onto Zoom, where I was able to meet a lot of amazing and inspiring people that fueled my interest in pursuing engineering as a career. I continued to be a part of the academy in other aspects by becoming an ambassador, a mentor for the 2021 and 2022 academies, and participating in the mentorship program.

During my junior year of high school, I took a science research class in which I researched the effects of online learning on teenagers’ social and educational lives. I then entered two science fair competitions and won 2nd place in the George Washington Carver Science Fair behavior/social science category and also received the special AACR Cancer Research Award. During my senior year of high school, I took an engineering class where I was able to apply different aspects of the engineering design cycle to multiple different projects. Being in this class helped reinforce how much I wanted to be an engineer in the future.

I look forward to my Exelon internship that will take place over the summer and the future Co-ops I will embark on in the future.

Aditi Bhatt is a 2022 Exelon STEM Leadership Academy Scholarship recipient. She participated
in the Exelon STEM Leadership and Innovation Academy the summer before her junior year of
high school and was intrigued with the connection between energy, engineering, and
sustainability. Participation in the Exelon STEM Academy encouraged her to seek more
opportunities that would allow her to explore STEM in depth. For instance, she contributed ideas
to Chicago Mayor Lightfoot’s “invest south/west” initiative, which aims to improve the city’s
south and west side communities. She contributed by creating models for a proposed community
center in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood to revitalize a vacant lot, a project inspired by
her Exelon Academy business pitch. Her appreciation for the extent to which engineering can
impact and improve communities grew as she learned more. Later, she went on to work as a
Information Technology (IT) assistant at a local organization, a data analyst for MAPCorps, and
held leadership roles in her school’s GEMS (Girls in Engineering, Math, and Science) club,
SWENext (Society of Women Engineers highschool chapter) club, and GWC (Girls Who Code)
club. Her success was recognized by the National Center for Women & Information Technology
(NCWIT) when she earned an Northern Illinois Affiliate Honorable Mention in 2021, a NCWIT
2020 Northern Illinois Affiliate Rising Star, and a College Board AP Scholar with Distinction
award. In June 2022, she graduated with honors from Northside College Preparatory High
School in Chicago, Illinois and is currently a 1st-year computer engineering student at the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC).
In college, she is a member of UIUC’s Society of Women Engineers (SWE) chapter, Women in
Electrical and Computer Engineering (WECE) club, and the Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Additionally, during winter break, she visited Trinidad and
Tobago for a study-abroad program designed for first-year students in UIUC’s Grainger College
of Engineering. During the program, she worked with Amizade, an organization with Special
Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council to research
ecotourism and sustainable practices in Trinidad and Tobago. She collaborated with two local
NGOs in the region, the Fondes Amandes Community Restoration Project (FACRP) and the
Nature Seekers organization. The former works to prevent forest fires and deforestation while the
latter works to eliminate leatherback turtle poaching. As an extension of the program, she will be
working as a consulting engineer with iSEE (Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and
Environment) to enact sustainability efforts on her college campus. Aditi is grateful for the
opportunity to be a Exelon STEM scholar and is eager to learn more as she delves deeper into
engineerin

A 2022 Exelon STEM Leadership Academy Scholar, Emily Curran is First Year Student at Villanova University majoring in Computer Engineering and a minor in Business. Prior to her time at Villanova, Emily attended Central Bucks High School East in Doylestown, PA where she received the opportunity to participate in the STEM Leadership Academy in 2020.

During her high school career, Emily graduated Summa Cum Laude with a 4.0 unweighted GPA, while remaining a member and leader of various clubs. She was captain of her varsity basketball and volleyball teams, Treasurer of her class, and President of the Athletes Helping Athletes organization. Upon graduation she was also awarded the Ancient Order of Hibernians Teresa and Peter Murphy scholarship and Central Bucks High School East Patriots Scholarship.

Within the Exelon Foundation STEM Academy, Emily has participated in the 2021, 2022, and 2023 mentoring programs and is a two year ambassador for the program. She served as a student mentor at both the Philadelphia and Chicago Academies this past summer, dedicating her time to spreading the mission of the program. She feels passionately about empowering other girls in the STEM industry and encouraging equity in the field.

Since starting on campus this fall, Emily has become involved in a multitude of activities on Villanova’s campus. She serves as the Freshman Representative and Social Media Chair for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers working to organize and promote professional opportunities. Emily is a Blue Key tour guide and President of her Residence Hall’s Interhall Council, adopting the Augustinian spirit of community and friendship into her everyday life.

In addition to her academic success, Emily works hard to help her community and undertake leadership and volunteering activities. She has continued her work with the Athletes Helping Athletes organization as well as joining Villanova Special Olympics as a Local Program Host in the largest student-run Special Olympic event in the world. She also worked as Vice President of her high schools Heifer International club raising money to help end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth.

Balancing her academics and extracurriculars throughout both high school and college, Emily is ready to embrace new opportunities while leading and supporting those around her. She is driven by her desire to make the work a better place by utilizing her skills in the community. Emily is excited to begin her journey with Exelon through her internship this summer and continue the mission of the Exelon Foundation STEM Leadership Academy.

Maitri Patel is a 2022 Exelon STEM Leadership Academy recipient. She is a freshman studying Industrial and Operations Engineering at the University of Michigan- Ann Arbor. Maitri is incredibly passionate about advocacy, art, and the environment. As an aspiring Industrial and Operations Engineer, she wants to improve energy efficiency at Exelon and make energy accessible to the global community. This major will allow her to simultaneously look through the lens of an engineer and think economically to mitigate the effects of climate change. Using her engineering knowledge, she hopes to build a career at Exelon to maximize clean energy use across Exelon’s service footprint.

Throughout her high school career, she volunteered with various organizations and took an active role in creating change within her community. At the beginning of the pandemic, she worked with Project Shields to help build 3D printers to print face shield frames. She also spent many hours volunteering at vaccine clinics throughout the end of her junior year and the beginning of her senior year. With the Passion Project, Maitri also shared her love for language and culture with kids across the country in a virtual setting by holding workshops focusing on a different country each week. In addition to her volunteer work, she engaged in a wide range of activities. Since ninth grade, she served as a board member and intern for SHE Community and is still involved. She was also a member of her school’s Vex Robotics team, served as Vice President of the Science Club, and Editor for her school newspaper. She was also a peer mentor to middle schoolers and other high schoolers within her school district. More recently, Maitri is in the Women in Science and Engineering Residential Program at her college and is on the board of Caraway Health. She is also currently a member of the Society of Women Engineers where she is involved in outreach projects and representing her school at conferences.

Her interest in sustainability grew stronger due to the energy challenge the Exelon STEM Leadership Academy presented to her in 2021. After attending the academy, she wanted to be as involved with the Academy as possible so she joined several chats, workshops, and the mentorship program available to alumnae. Maitri also served as a student staff at the Philadelphia Academy in 2022 and is currently in the Scholars Mentorship Program. She looks forward to interning at Peco after the completion of her freshman year of college.

Chris Crane Memorial Scholarship Winners

2025 Recipients

Jennifer Giovanni →

Aisha Salu →

Kifa Ul-Eman →

Anson Thomas →

Nassir Turner →

Tyler Washington →

2024 Recipients

Darby Bankoski

Regina Flemming

Isatou Jawara

Melanie Lobos

Chiemela Nwokoro

Keira Seidman

Sophia Villar

2023 Recipients

Alyssa Beckett

Abigail Cooley

Trevor Gardner

Jillian Kouzmanoff

Carolyn Lee

Naomi Wilson

2022 Recipients

Aliyanna Banner

Aditi Bhatt

Nicole Constante

Emily Curran

Allegra Oledibe

Maitri Patel

Tahreem Rana

XiuYi Tan

Micaela Venyo

2021 Recipients

Samantha Booher

Alima Conde

Nesochim Iheanyi-Igwe

Asata Mander

Teegan Mathey

Danielle Thompson