In partnership with The American Chemistry Council (ACC), Chemours, and HBCU Week Foundation, the Future of STEM Scholars Initiative (FOSSI) was established in November 2020 with the goal of helping to combat the lack of diversity in the STEM workforce. FOSSI provides scholarship recipients $10,000 per year for four years, helping to eliminate financial barriers for historically underrepresented groups.
The FOSSI initiative welcomed 151 scholars in its inaugural year. In 2022, the program celebrates its new class of 144 FOSSI scholars, who are from 25 states and will be attending 34 historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) this fall.
See the video below for an inside look into how FOSSI is changing the lives of these amazing scholars.
Meet more of FOSSI’s 2022 class
Brooklyn Boone: 2022 FOSSI Scholar Attending Tennessee State University
Brooklyn is a recent graduate of Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis, Indiana. During high school, she was a member of the Varsity Women’s Soccer team, The Black Student Union, and participated in various community service opportunities. At TSU, she plans to broaden her educational reach within STEM and use what she’s learned to educate underrepresented communities.
Robert Groce: 2022 FOSSI Scholar Attending Alabama A&M University
Robert attended Spain Park High School where he learned his first coding language. He gained a passion for cybersecurity when he attended a cyber camp at the University of Alabama during his youth. In 10 years, he sees himself working in cybersecurity, helping to take down hackers, scammers, and other online criminals. He’s thankful that the FOSSI scholarship has given him the opportunity to pursue his passion without the worries of having to pay for college.
Xavier Jackson: 2022 FOSSI Scholar Attending Prairie View A&M University
Xavier is from Grand Prairie, Texas, and plans to major in chemistry at Prairie View A&M University. He discovered his love for science in elementary school, and has had the opportunity to take many advanced science classes throughout high school. His favorite science lab was frog dissection in his 9th-grade biology class. In 10 years, he sees himself working in forensics with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Saniya Reese: 2022 FOSSI Scholar Attending North Carolina A&T State
Saniya is from Covington, Georgia, and will be attending North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in the fall. She plans to major in chemical engineering and become an active member of North Carolina A&T’s band program. In high school, she was part of a STEM Institute where she developed her love for engineering.