Aspire2STEAM Announces Six LEGACY Scholarship Recipients

Multi-Year Program Helps Abolish Ongoing Barriers to STEAM Fields

DAVENPORT, IA, UNITED STATES, April 14, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Aspire2STEAM.org, which provides educational scholarships, recognition, and mentoring to young women and girls who are working towards careers that require education in science, tech, engineering, the arts, or math (STEAM), has announced the names of six students who have each received multi-year LEGACY scholarships.

Spring is the season of growth, and Aspire2STEAM is excited to assist the growth of six students through its LEGACY Scholarship program, which awards multi-year Aspire2STEAM scholarships. This year’s LEGACY scholarships were made possible through a private philanthropic organization focused on abolishing the ongoing barriers young women face in STEAM fields.

“We must look directly at, and not away, from persistent problems and the facts,” exclaimed Cheryl O’Donoghue, Founder of Aspire2STEAM. “The first fact we must face is that young women pursuing STEAM careers have more obstacles to overcome — deliberate obstructions — not only in completing their education, but in navigating unkind and unjust work environments.”

“Barriers to entry aren’t the only deterrents,” continued Madelyn Qayyum, Aspire2STEAM’s Students4Students Team Lead and Marketing Coordinator. “We must also help alleviate the cost of post-secondary education as well, which are shown to consistently outpace students’ abilities to finance them.”

Education Data Initiative revealed last fall that tuition has risen by 36.7% from 2010 to 2023. Unfortunately, flowers are not the only things growing every spring.

“And then,” added Logan Williams, Aspire2STEAM’s Communications Lead, “there's another fact: our government is increasingly reticent to offer a safety net, game plan, or even a simple hand up, especially nowadays.”

“Ultimately, we each have to look within and determine what we can do to rise to the challenges of our times,” said O’Donoghue. “For those with the financial wherewithal to shape our future by investing in youth, who demonstrate the drive to pursue STEAM careers, now's the time to take to the plate.”

The 2025 LEGACY scholarship recipients are:
• Cara Jacob, a freshman at the University of Missouri-Kansas City majoring in Biology with aspirations in medicine and public health;
• Christina Bui, a junior at North Carolina State University majoring in Human Biology with aspirations in medicine with a specialty in anesthesia;
• Karimah Muhammed, a junior at Howard University's College of Engineering and Architecture majoring in Computer Science with aspirations to launch a tech startup;
• Mehjabin Begun, a junior at Montclair State University majoring in Molecular Biology with aspirations in medicine specializing in cardiology or psychiatry;
• Sirihaasa Nallamothu, a sophomore at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign majoring in computer science with aspirations in bioinformatics, healthcare, and medicine;
• Smridhi Subedi, a sophomore at the University of Texas at Dallas, majoring in Software Engineering with aspirations in computer science and STEAM advocacy.

Cheryl O’Donoghue concluded that “it’s a common misnomer that the only worthy contribution is a ‘full ride,’ although even an annual donation of $1,500 is enough to keep students afloat. That’s why Aspire2STEAM’s work is important. Students are thrown off the proverbial ship into a sink-or-swim economy without a life jacket. Well, we’re happy those who give to us want to be that life jacket.”

About Aspire2STEAM
Help us fund more life-changing student scholarships and nonprofit leadership opportunities for young adults. Give Now.
Established in 2018, Aspire2STEAM.org is a charitable 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which has earned Guidestar’s Gold Seal for accountability, integrity, and transparency. Today, Aspire2STEAM is a vibrant and growing organization providing two unique programs promoting STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics).
Our flagship offering is a scholarship, mentoring, and recognition program to help young women and girls break through seen and unseen barriers and complete STEAM related training, certification, and education. Our newest program — Students4Students — offers students and recent graduates paid opportunities to gain valuable, hands-on business training and leadership experience as they operate a nonprofit business (Aspire2STEAM).
We remain steadfast in our commitment to help women and girls over the incredible hurdles of scholarship award inequity, rising education costs and student debt, and the real, ever-present opportunity barriers that keep them out of most male-dominated industries. We are looking for others to join us in our mission through their support, including connecting us with grant organizations and helping us build an endowment for continued programming and impact.
Scholarship Applications are accepted year-round! Share this online application today.

Cheryl O'Donoghue
Aspire2STEAM
+1 630-253-8861
email us here