APrep Alumni, Kevin Akers, UMass Lowell
Name: Kevin Akers
High School: School Without Walls DC
College/University: University Mass Lowell
Major: Mechanical Engineering Major
“Every day when I wake up, the first thing I say is, ‘Thank you that I’m alive right now,’ and the second is, ‘Thank you for that scholarship,’ because that scholarship is life-changing,” he says. “It’s an awesome program that’s allowed me to focus more on my work and more on my future.”
“I want to fit as much as I can into these four years, because these are my foundational years and the opportunities here are limitless,” says Akers, who wants to graduate with “more than just a degree” in mechanical engineering. “I want to graduate knowing that I made a difference, that I left a legacy and changed somebody’s life.”
Much like being a DC-CAP Scholar has changed his life.
“The work I have been doing in the community has been through a non-profit program called STEM for the Streets(SFTS), a program dedicated to mentoring minority youth through hands-on science experiments, engaging lesson plans taught by STEM professionals of color, and family-style dinners. Our mission is to use STEM as a means to teach success while empowering young people.”
For more information on SFTS, you can visit our website attached
here. So far, we have worked with over 150 students, 3 schools, and held over 7 sessions! We are also working with Early Childhood Academy this semester as a prototype for our new project,
Girls Rule STEM for the Streets, a program dedicated to the empowerment of young women of color specifically through STEM for the Streets methods.
To read more about Kevin and his determination to change the world, head over to Kevin’s profile feature on UMass Lowell’s
website.
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