When the young girls who attend Rise STEM Academy turned the corner to enter the building for their first day of school, they were greeted with cheers and high fives by doctors, lawyers, business leaders, and teachers, all women. Jennifer Jacobs is the director of Rise STEM Academy for Girls.
“We were able to welcome all of our scholars into the schoolhouse for the first day of school,” Jacobs said, “and it's just wonderful to see all of the women in the community that showed up to celebrate our scholars as they embark on a brand new journey and adventure.”
In that welcome line was Krissalyn Love, the Director of First and Second Year Experience at Kentucky State University.
“I think it's so important for young women to see older women pouring into them, welcoming them, celebrating them, because we're I mean, we're all in this together,” Love beamed “I think that it was incredibly important. I feel honored to be here.
The magnet school’s inaugural year welcomed 150 students grades K through 2. Rise STEM Academy added the third grade in this their second year and will add levels every year until they reach the eighth grade. Their mission is to support and build confidence in girls as they study science, technology, engineering and math during their formative years. Jacobs said it was important for these young girls to see other women who are succeeding in fields that were once dominated by men.
“I hope that they felt that they were breaking that glass ceiling every step of the way and understanding that they can do anything they set their mind to!”
And Love’s final message to this group of future female leaders? “Embrace your superpower. We're women!”