Meet the 2024 STEM Forward Scholarship Recipients

Each year, STEM Forward awards $2,500 scholarships to outstanding students from the Milwaukee area who are enrolled in STEM-related programs to encourage talented students to maintain high standards of academic achievement and service. We believe that to add to Southeastern Wisconsin’s talent pipeline, we must provide as many opportunities to students as possible. STEM Forward’s overall scholarship program this year includes ten students totaling $25,000, including scholarship renewals. In partnership with our donors, STEM Forward is tremendously proud to be able to help ten students along on their STEM pathways this next academic year!

Elizabeth Brauer High School Scholarship Recipient - Julia Burant

My name is Julia Burant, and I’m going to major in electrical engineering at Virginia Tech. I have taken 20 AP exams and two classes (Calculus III and Linear Algebra and Differential Equations) at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee as of the end of my senior year, I am the valedictorian at Golda Meir High School with a 4.0 unweighted GPA and a 4.5 weighted GPA, I am a member of the National Honor Society and Link Crew at my school in which we serve our school community, especially lowerclassmen in adjusting to high school, and I am a varsity softball player and varsity swim team captain.

STEM careers, especially engineering, have specifically interested me since I was a child since it takes mathematics and physics to problem-solve solutions for issues all around the world. Not only do I enjoy mathematics, but I love serving others, and engineering exemplifies these traits. Because of this, I have taken three Project Lead the Way (PLTW) classes in high school, one of which was an independent engineering project in which I designed a portable chest compression device and analyzed its place within the mechanical CPR market. I have also aided my engineering teacher in an engineering research project about increasing the efficiency of HVAC systems.

I am a devout Catholic, and my faith guides my everyday life as well as my future goals and plans. I plan on designing devices in the future for the betterment of the world and those without hope and devoting my life to service.

- Julia

Southeastern Wisconsin High School Scholarship Recipient - Tess Roubik

My name is Tess Roubik, and I’m currently a senior at Waukesha West High School. I will be attending Marquette University this fall, majoring in Biomedical Science on the Pre-Med track. I also intend to minor in Spanish and Neuroscience to broaden my potential scope of practice, but I may adjust these as I explore my options in the medical field.

I have been passionate about pursuing a STEM career since I was young, always telling my parents I was going to be a nurse. However, as I began to engulf myself in the opportunities my schools provided, I realized my true path is attending medical school. I have been a part of FeMade, Student Environmental Activists, Astronomy Club, and Health Occupation Students of America, all of which aided me in my career exploration journey. I am fortunate to have mentors in my community who have helped me make this decision, but the most influential factor was my personal experience working in a hospital. I am currently employed as a Certified Nursing Assistant at my local hospital, providing me with a unique set of skills unlike any other job I’ve had. While working, I have the privilege of meeting a multitude of people from different socioeconomic backgrounds, expanding my perspective on the purpose of healthcare. I’ve never felt more at home than when I was helping someone.

My current career plan is to attend medical school and become a doctor of allopathic medicine. I hope to fulfill a residency in dermatology, but I look forward to exploring my options. I am also considering working in pediatrics or emergency medicine. Furthermore, I am extremely excited about my undergraduate experience at Marquette, where I plan to get involved through internships, research, and volunteer opportunities. I also look forward to joining clubs and organizations such as the Environmental Club and Global Brigades. No matter where my path takes me, I am honored to pursue my career with STEM Forward’s support.

Beyond academics, I also enjoy playing tennis and soccer, and I hope to play tennis at a club level during my freshman year. Additionally, I like to spend my free time outside. Whether that means running through a forest or relaxing at the beach, I love enjoying nature and being outdoors.

I am forever grateful for the opportunity this scholarship has given me, and I promise to work hard throughout my post-secondary education to make everyone proud. I’d like to thank my family, teachers, and coaches for helping me become the person I am today

- Tess

Marquette University Robert Brauer Scholarship Recipient - Tim Schmit

Hello! My name is Tim Schmit, and I am a first-year student at Marquette University currently studying Environmental Engineering. As a runner, hiker, skier, and climber, the value of a healthy planet has always been clear to me. As a huge math nerd, though enticing, the value of calculus and physics in my day-to-day life was not as visible. That was, of course, until I learned about environmental engineering. A career in STEM that would allow me to preserve the outdoors was a no-brainer.

My passion for environmental engineering stems not only from an interest in math, physics, and material sciences but also from a place of care and concern for our constantly changing planet and the devastating impacts on human health accompanying these environmental declines. It is in urban areas where these concerns are most dire, as urban heat islands, poor water quality, and runoff lead to declining human health and well-being; it is also in these places where I hope to make a difference with an education in environmental engineering. By changing the foundational infrastructure of cities to be more amiable to the water cycle, green energy production, and reduced carbon emissions, I can contribute to the seemingly insurmountable task of fighting climate change.

So far at Marquette, I have learned the value of my future work in the world through my courses detailing what I can accomplish and the value of the community that comes with being a Marquette engineer. With my involvement in Engineers Without Borders, I have come to understand the importance of infrastructure to global communities through the design of water systems in Guatemala and the kindness of student engineers willing to devote hours to the design of those water systems. Through the Freshman Engineering Student Council, I have learned the value of a community that seeks to include others and the inherent desire for engineers to have fun with whatever projects are thrown their way.

Going forward, I cannot wait to see what is in store for me in the way of environmental engineering and sustainable development opportunities, as well as the change that will spark from the work I will complete.

- Tim

Milwaukee Area Technical College Scholarship Recipient - Alham Alipuly

My name is Alham Alipuly, and I am an international scholar from Kazakhstan currently pursuing my academic endeavors at Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) in Wisconsin. With a steadfast commitment to the sciences, I am pursuing an Associate's degree in Food Science Technology, building upon my previous achievements in Chemical Technician studies.

My journey in STEM began early, marked by notable achievements such as winning city-level Olympiads in Chemistry during middle school and emerging victorious in scientific project competitions at the national level during high school. These experiences ignited my passion for the intricate workings of the natural world and set me on a trajectory toward a career in STEM. During my tenure at MATC, I have been actively engaged in various STEM-related activities, including serving as a student representative at the inauguration of the STEM center, mentoring in Chemical Laboratories, and guiding high school students on Future Day, fostering a spirit of inquiry and exploration among budding scientists.

Driven by my unwavering dedication to scientific inquiry, I aspire to pursue a PhD and immerse myself in Research and Development within the realm of Chemistry, mainly focusing on Food and Beverage innovations. Despite already holding a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry and a Master's in Chemical Science and accumulating seven years of invaluable work experience, winning the STEM Forward Scholarship has served as a beacon of validation and encouragement, affirming his chosen path in STEM.

Beyond my academic pursuits, my dedication to excellence has been recognized through being selected as one of the 2024 WTCS Ambassadors representing the Wisconsin Technical College System. Additionally, my linguistic prowess extends beyond his native Kazakh and Russian, encompassing English, Korean, Spanish, Turkish, and Japanese proficiency, reflecting my broad cultural and intellectual horizons.

I embody the spirit of inquiry, innovation, and global citizenship in every endeavor. With a genuine belief in the transformative power of STEM, I endeavor to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers, fostering a world where curiosity knows no bounds and possibilities are limitless.

- Alham

Milwaukee School of Engineering Scholarship Recipient - Ryder Collupy

Hello, my name is Ryder Collupy. I was born to Timothy and Tamara Collupy in Fairbanks, Alaska. Because of my dad’s work, we moved every few years, so I spent the first few years of my life in Alaska, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire before we finally settled in Wisconsin, where I’ve spent the better part of my life.

I am currently a student at the Milwaukee School of Engineering studying electrical engineering with a focus on embedded system design. Although I know definitively that I’m in the field I was meant for, the road I traveled to get to where I began many years ago. When I was young, I dreamed of being an inventor. I grew up on cartoons like Wallace and Gromit and wanted to create the crazy contraptions I saw on TV that inspired my imagination, innovating the world around me.

As I grew up, my generic dream to “invent” began to take shape in an interest in either mechanical or electrical engineering. I still wanted to create, but I couldn’t decide on the medium in which I would go about doing this. It wasn’t until my junior year of high school that I took an introductory course in the programming language Python that would shape my college career path. I blasted through the course on Python in a matter of weeks, realizing an interest in programming for the first time.

Once I finished high school, I had to take a year off to work due to graduating during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this brief break in education primed me for my introduction to engineering school at Madison Area Technical College. It was here that I got my first real taste of electronics, and I was hooked. My programming professor imprinted his passion for embedded systems on me, bridging my high school passion for programming and my childhood dream of inventing.

Having finished my associate degree at Madison Area Technical College, I’ve finally caught up with the present. I transferred to the Milwaukee School of Engineering, where I hope to complete my college career at one of the finest engineering schools in the Midwest. With the help of generous scholarships like STEM Forward, I’ll be able to graduate largely debt-free, allowing me to follow the STEM opportunities of my passion instead of being guided by financial need. To whom it may concern, I’d like to express my sincerest gratitude toward the sponsors of this scholarship. Thank you.

- Ryder

University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Scholarship Recipient -

Charlanique Hueneke

My name is Charlanique Hueneke, and I am an engineering student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. During my time at the University, I studied abroad in Germany, volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, and joined the American Society of Civil Engineers. My life has been full of unique obstacles, and as a non-traditional student, I feel grateful for the opportunity to attend a four-year institution. 

While studying abroad in Germany last summer, I learned about renewable energy. Germany is deliberately becoming more climate-friendly by implementing government policies that facilitate the transition from nuclear and fossil fuels to renewable. That alone is impressive enough, but for me, the most shocking thing about Germany was the widespread public transportation and focus on pedestrians. Germany is much easier to traverse than the United States because of the fast and reliable trains, buses, and streetcars. Even biking is more accessible in Germany. In Munich, Hamburg, and Berlin, bike lanes were often painted red on the sidewalks for visibility. I had never felt so safe biking as when I was in Germany, and upon my return to Milwaukee, I realized there is so much to be done for pedestrians in this country. Studying abroad instilled in me a desire to help make a safer environment for everyone.  

In the winter of 2023, I volunteered for the first time with Habitat for Humanity. I learned how to use a coping saw, a nail gun and a miter saw to set the baseboards and shoe molding into the walls of a home. Learning and applying new tools and techniques and applying them was fun, and I made fast friends with the other volunteers there that day. I feel confident that my subsequent volunteer work with Habitat for Humanity will be just as enriching, and I look forward to the summer when I will have more time to volunteer. I am very passionate about Habitat’s mission to provide affordable housing for people and am grateful that I can help in this mission. I think using tools and being part of a construction team is a valuable insight for someone like me, who will be a civil engineer one day. 

Next semester is the Steel Bridge Competition. I signed up because I love bridges and hope to work on a full-scale bridge someday. While in Germany, we visited the Deutsches Museum, where an entire room was dedicated to bridges. After spending most of my time in that room, I realized I love bridges. I want to contribute as much as I can to next semester’s endeavor to win the competition. Coming to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has literally changed my life, my outlook, and the trajectory of my future. Reentering college was the best choice I could have made for myself. Thank you very much for supporting my journey. 

- Charlanique

Thursday, August 8, 2024

Interested in helping raise funds for our Scholarship Program? Join us at the 19th Annual Scholarship Program Fundraiser Golf Outing & Silent Auction on Thursday, August 8, 2024, at Morningstar Golfer’s Club in Waukesha. Learn more at https://www.stemforward.org/scholarship-golf-outing.

Reach out to Maureen Haeger at 414-221-7722 or haeger@stemforward.org with questions.