ST. LOUIS, MO – November 15, 2023
Science Center’s YES Program Celebrates 25 Years of Continued Impact
Nov. 16 Ceremony to Recognize Program, Honor 13 Inductees with Addition to the Alumni Wall
The Saint Louis Science Center celebrates the 25th Anniversary of its Youth Exploring Science (YES) Program. While celebrating this milestone at a 4 p.m. ceremony tomorrow (Thursday, Nov. 16) at the Taylor Community Science Resource Center (located at 4900 Manchester Road) that houses the YES Program operations, the Science Center will honor 13 distinguished graduates with inclusion on the YES Alumni Wall.
YES is the only four-year informal STEM learning program in St. Louis that delivers opportunities in a work-study framework and prepares participants for in-demand careers of the future. Students enter as freshmen and focus their studies on various STEM fields during their time in the program.
“Through the program, YES participants receive exposure to STEM professionals and career paths of the future,” noted Saint Louis Science Center President and CEO Todd Bastean. “Our program prepares teens for the near- and long-term horizon by providing hands-on, science-focused opportunities and developing their leadership and problem-solving skills.”
Since its inception in Fall 1998, more than 1,200 area teens have graduated from the program, and more than 90 percent of those individuals have pursued higher education after their high school graduations. YES graduates have built upon their experience to become scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, medical professionals, researchers, IT professionals, teachers, elected officials, and other community role models.
The 13 honorees joining other distinguished graduates on the YES Alumni Wall this year are:
- Jacora Garry, MHA – Project coordinator, WebTPA
- Dr. Vincent Hathaway, DDS – Dentist/CEO, Soul Smiles
- Dominic Jarrett – Retail sales manager, Telemecanique Sensors
- Mehyaisha Jones – Technical account manager, IBM Cloud
- Amani Lewis – Marine conservation scientist, St. Louis Community College Center for Plant and Life Sciences
- Katia Lima-Lopez – Senior software engineer, Paylocity
- Maya McGregory – Marketing consultant, M3 Marketing
- Leslie Ramey – Compliance operations analyst, Block, Inc.
- Stephon Redus – Entrepreneur/Director of IT, High Value Tech LLC
- Avis Riddle – Class of 2016
- Tamesha Wallace – Resource manager, Love The Lou
- Dajae Williams – Rocket scientist/professional speaker, NASA/Listen Up! Education
- Shanae Williams – Entrepreneur/Medical health representative – Go Forth Travels/Elevance Health
Siinya Williams, senior director of the Science Center’s Community Science Department said, “We appreciate the contributions from our participants, our graduates, and our philanthropic partners who have worked hand-in-hand to bring STEM learning alive in communities that are underserved and/or underrepresented by traditional science-based education and opportunities.” For more information on the YES Program, visit www.slsc.org/YES.
For more information, or to schedule interviews with Science Center personnel, contact
Doug Bolnick, Public Relations Manager.
Email or call 314.289.4461
About the Saint Louis Science Center
The mission of the Saint Louis Science Center is to inspire everyone to be curious and engaged in science. Named a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate in 2016, the award-winning Science Center engages guests through on-site experiences, including hundreds of hands-on exhibits, the OMNIMAX® Theater, which is one of just nine IMAX® Dome with Laser theaters in the world, and the James S. McDonnell Planetarium featuring the largest artificial sky in the Western Hemisphere. Additionally, the organization provides informal educational programming to schools and other organizations in the St. Louis community and is home to the nationally recognized Youth Exploring Science (YES) program, which works with underserved teens throughout their high school years to prepare them for in-demand STEM careers. The Saint Louis Science Center is free and open to the public during regular hours (Thursdays through Mondays). For more information about the Science Center, please visit slsc.org or call 314-289-4400.
