Forging Future Leaders: Simons STEM Scholars Second Cohort Kicks Off Academic Journey

The Simons STEM Scholars Summer Bridge program included events like the Summer Games. Photos by John Griffin.

Stony Brook University's Simons STEM Scholars Programcelebrated the signing of its second cohort (S2) of students this past May at the Simons Foundation's Flatiron Institute in New York City. In July, those students came to Stony Brook for a six-week Summer Bridge Program designed to prepare them for the next four years of their academic career.

The incoming class of 50 scholars was selected from a pool of 1,000 applicants. With an average SAT score of 1410 and an average grade point average of 95, the scores of the scholars represent the top five percent of high school students. Executive Director Erwin Cabrerasaid the significance of the S2 class is the program growth it represents for the Simons STEM Scholars Program.

"We had 29 students in our first class and these 50 students bring us to 79," he said. "And it's going to grow from there. We have to make sure we can support them."

Like last year, the summer Bridge program provided students a catalyst to their growth and the chance to experience Stony Brook from the perspective of a college student prior to starting their first year. During the program, the students took two courses, one in mathematics and one in psychology, and were introduced to other aspects of the program.

"There were research talks, seminars, leadership pathways, and we did site visits to various research institutions," said Cabrera. "They worked with an offshore wind company at CEWIT (Center for Excellence, Wireless and Information Technology)and we had faculty from all over campus come speak to our students, from every college and from every discipline. But they also went out and had some fun. And I think that's really important for Bridge in particular, for them to understand that there is a balance between academics and having fun. They need to understanding the social part, but they also need to understand what being an academic leader means."

Cabrera said that one of the benefits of having a larger class was the opportunity to gear the site visits for the different majors.

"A larger class meant we could specialize things in a different way," said Cabrera. "We divided them up by their majors and areas of interest. One group went to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. One group went to Brookhaven National Laboratory. Another group went to Stony Brook's medical center. We really wanted to showcase Stony Brook's research for this class."

"Summer Bridge is a transformative experience that is indescribable," said Natasha McCombs, Summer Bridge coordinator and academic advisor."Fifty voices shined, laughed, and cried, and those same 50 individuals became a cohort. As a unit, the Simons STEM Scholars family realized a cohort isn't just a word, it's a feeling."

"To be challenged is to be changed," said cohort member Emily Scherl. "That definitely rang true this summer. And as a new student, it's really nice to have someone to wave at on campus."

Students in the Simons STEM Scholars Summer Bridge program visited Urban Air trampoline park for team building. More photos below.

"It was genuinely challenging but made me more prepared for college and what to expect," added Walter Benitez, another S2 Simons scholar.

After a successful first year, Cabrera said that one of the most important takeaways is that each class will have its own personality.

Every class has its own dreams, visions, and personalities," he said. "It's about adapting year to year. There is no cookie cutter or secret sauce to this. So we just need to support these students and figure out what they need, and that will come with differences every year. The program will evolve with each new cohort."

Cabrera said that almost 70 percent of the S1 group were accepted into summer research outside of Stony Brook at schools such as Yale, Texas A&M, Carnegie Mellon, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Missouri.

"And following in their footsteps, our second class is also coming in with a multitude of research experiences," he added.

The Simons STEM Scholars Program is funded by the Simons Foundation and Simons Foundation International. The initiative was announced In 2022 after a $56.6 million donation from the late Jim Simons and his wife Marilyn, co-founders and co-chairs of the Simons Foundation and Simons Foundation International, with a goal of increasing diversity in STEM fields. The Simons STEM Scholars program provides scholars with full scholarships, housing, research opportunities, internship stipends, advising, mentoring and more to comprehensively ameliorate the STEM career pipeline for underrepresented students.

"This program is also about increasing our recognition not only nationally, but globally," said Cabrera. "These students will benefit from opportunities and experiences they can only get at Stony Brook. And alongside our program is the growth of the institution. I envision us being not only a microcosm of Stony Brook's success, but also a catalyst to the growth of the institution."

- Robert Emproto

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