By Maggie O’Hanlon, Class of 2021

Last November, I returned to Connecticut to host an Awards and Fundraising Banquet for local Middletown nonprofit, STEAM Train. The event is one I look forward to each year, but last year’s was extra special because I had the honor of presenting Wesleyan University (my alma mater) with STEAM Train’s community engagement award.

Since its founding in 2017, STEAM Train has developed the next generation of STEM innovators in Middletown and beyond, with a special focus on girls, women, and underrepresented populations. STEAM Train illuminates paths to STEM careers and helps individuals develop the skills they need to increase their earning potential through a diverse array of programming, including youth STEM camps, workforce development programs, and AI community skilling events.

I was first connected with STEAM Train in 2018, when I participated in the Jewett Center’s Nonprofit Board Residency program as a sophomore at Wesleyan. The program provided Wes students with the opportunity to learn about the nonprofit sector by serving as non-voting members of a local board of directors. I was partnered with STEAM Train and was immediately struck by two things. First, how clear it was that our community needs an organization like STEAM Train. And second, how passionate, and equally important, kind, STEAM Train’s board of directors are.

Though my time as the board’s shadow came to an end that year, I didn’t think my work with STEAM Train was over. Eight years later, I am proud to say that I still serve on STEAM Train’s board and have served as its Secretary for the past several years. It has been a pleasure to watch STEAM Train grow and witness the incredible impact the organization has had on a community I once called home. As any of STEAM Train’s board members would attest, we would not be where we are today without all our community partners, including Wesleyan. In addition to supplying student partners, the Jewett Center, and Wesleyan has hosted workforce development apprentices, donated critical supplies, and amplified STEAM Train’s visibility.

I invite you to learn more about STEAM Train’s work and to join us for this year’s Awards & Fundraising Banquet.