For FSU CCI STARS Alliance students, community engagement, building STEM pipelines, and making a positive impact are essential. Recently, STARS Alliance volunteers connected with middle and high school girls at the Pace Center for Girls in Leon County through an outreach event focused on career exploration, mentorship and STEM education.

“One of the biggest parts of the STARS Alliance mission is service and making a positive impact through community engagement and STEM outreach” said Julie Campos, a Biological Sciences and Public Health student at FSU and STARS Alliance volunteer, “This event allowed us to do exactly that by providing the girls with resources, mentorship, and hands-on learning opportunities.”

The event brought nine volunteers and Pace Center students together to explore potential career paths, develop professional skills, and participate in hands-on learning activities. High school students at the Pace Center had professional headshots taken to help them prepare for their academic and career futures.

STARS Alliance volunteers also shared their experiences as college students, highlighted available resources, and introduced the girls to educational paths they might not have otherwise known about.

“Every one of us comes from different backgrounds, have different interests, and are at different stages in our educational/professional journeys,” said Julia Sveen, STARS Alliance President, “I think that young adulthood can be very scary, but by hearing our personal testimonies, it’s basically saying that if we can do it, you guys surely can too.”

The event also introduced middle school students with science opportunities through a strawberry DNA extraction activity. The experiment gave students the opportunity to interact with science by encouraging curiosity and letting them learn new things outside of a traditional classroom. The middle school students were also shown microgreens donated by Farming the Future, a local company supporting K-12 STEM outreach. The students took home a kit so they could explore growing hydroponic microgreens on their own. 

By bringing together career exploration opportunities and hand-on activities created for each group of students, the event offered the Pace Girls different ways to discover their interests while learning about different opportunities while they continue their education.  

For the STARS Alliance volunteers, this event was more than just connecting with students, but a learning opportunity. 

“Being able to connect with these girls, share our experiences, and provide resources that could help them in the future was incredibly fulfilling,” said Campos, “Giving back and helping others is something I’m really passionate about, and this experience only motivated me to continue creating opportunities like this.” 

The experience also highlighted the impact college students can have on others, especially younger learners who are still figuring out their future careers. By sharing their experiences, discussing their decisions, and explaining the paths they took, STARS volunteers provided students with a new look into the many options students have once they graduate high school. 

“Perspective is a powerful tool that we all have a chance to receive,” said Tanya Raphael, an Information Technology student at FSU and STARS Alliance volunteer. “These girls gave me the opportunity to be in their shoes by sharing their stories and it made me grateful for the experiences I had at their age that shaped me today ”

Through opportunities like this, the FSU STARS Alliance is able to bring the Tallahassee community together and continue to make an impact on different groups, such as young women. 

“I believe we have a responsibility to give back that same support,” said Campos. “Connecting with organizations like the Pace Center for Girls allows us to build meaningful relationships, share resources, and hopefully make a positive difference in someone’s life”