Catalyst Programs at the Science House, North Carolina State University

Our wonderful participants! We are so proud of them and all their accomplishments!

🎉 **Catalyst’s 10th Year Celebration & Graduation!** 🎓

We had an incredible time celebrating a decade of Catalyst and honoring this year’s amazing graduates. We are so proud of all our participants and alumni who are helping build a stronger, more inclusive STEM workforce and making the world a better place through their talents and dedication.

A huge thank‑you to our community partners—NC State University, EIPD, ABB, Burroughs Wellcome Fund, Lenovo, ThermoFisher, NC Zoo, NC Museum of Natural Sciences, Queen Anne’s Archaeology Lab, and so many others—who make it possible for our students to learn, grow, and explore endless opportunities in STEM.

Below are our outstanding seniors and their **Class of 2026 College & Career Plans**. We are so proud of each of them and excited for the bright futures ahead:

📘 **Aaroosh** – NC State University, Food Science (Technology Concentration)
📘 **Beckett** – NC State University, Electrical Engineering
📘 **Brendan** – NC State University, Engineering
📘 **Bryler** – NC State University, Engineering
📘 **Caden** – UNC‑Charlotte, Computer Science
📘 **Caden** – Gap Year, then College (IT Major)
📘 **Connor** – Wake Tech, Biology/Biotechnology
📘 **Emmitt** – Campbell University, Mechanical Engineering
📘 **Ethan** – Johnston Community College, Engineering
📘 **Idris** – NC A&T, Computer Science/Cybersecurity (Starting as a Junior)
📘 **Jacob** – UNC‑Charlotte, Undecided (interests in Software Engineering & Game Development)
📘 **Jason** – UNC‑Pembroke, Mechanical or Electrical Engineering
📘 **Katelyn** – Meredith College, Biology
📘 **Lilly** – William Peace University, Anthropology & Forensics
📘 **Maddy** – 5th Year STEM High School (AA in Computer Programming), then transfer to a 4‑year university
📘 **Maggie** – Meredith College, Biology
📘 **Marcus** – UNC‑Chapel Hill, Biomedical Engineering
📘 **Mark** – NC State University, Materials Science Engineering
📘 **Maysie** – UNC‑Wilmington, Nursing
📘 **Parker** – Randolph Community College, Chemistry or Engineering
📘 **Roberto** – Campbell University, Cybersecurity
📘 **Sadie** – NC State University, Livestock & Poultry Management
📘 **Sam** – Wake Tech, Game Design & Simulation
📘 **Taylor** – Western Carolina University, Integrated Health Sciences
📘 **Thomas** – University of South Carolina, IT & Computer Science
📘 **Trey** – Greensboro College, Game & Interactive Media (Minor in AI)
📘 **Yaheli** – 5th Year STEM High School, completing a degree in Cybersecurity, then transferring to a 4‑year university as a Junior

🌟 We are incredibly proud that **over 98% of our participants are entering STEM fields**, helping increase the representation, skills, and leadership of people with disabilities in a STEM workforce where representation is currently only about **3%**. Their impact is already making STEM stronger, more diverse, and more innovative.

Here’s to 10 years of Catalyst—and to the bright futures ahead for our graduates! 💙🚀

A BIG Thank-you to all our Volunteers for Reach for the Stars! Be a Star! STEM and Resource Fair for K-12 Students with Disabilities Family and Friends on Saturday at NC State University!

Because of YOU, we welcomed **500 attendees** and hosted **70+ tables** featuring amazing resources from NC State University departments, nonprofits, and government agencies. Your energy and commitment created a space filled with curiosity, encouragement, and possibility.

We are especially grateful to our five fantastic speakers — **Christina Bauman, Stephanie Steward, Michael O'Neil, Julie Nettiffee, and Angela Martin** — and to the wonderful students who joined us from **Greene County Schools** and **Pender County Schools**. A huge shout‑out as well to our **Catalyst staff and students** who helped organize and run the fair. You made everything shine!

We also appreciate the support and presence of **Wake County Superintendent Dr. Robert Taylor, Sheriff Willie Rowe, Cheryl Caulfield from the Wake County Board of Education, NC Senator Jay Chaudhuri, Morrisville Council Member Satish Garimela, the Raleigh Fire Department, Emily Myers, and Ms. Sampson County**. Your participation made the day even more meaningful.

A special thank‑you to **ABB, ThermoFisher, Lenovo, the NC Science Festival, the NC Space Grant**, and the many businesses and community members who contributed their time, resources, and enthusiasm.

Your dedication helps us build a stronger STEM workforce by opening doors for future STEM stars and increasing the representation of people with disabilities — who bring incredible skills and talents, yet currently make up only **3% of the STEM workforce** despite being **25% of the U.S. population**. Your efforts truly matter.

We could not have done this without you. You are amazing, and “thank you” hardly feels like enough. 💛

https://www.facebook.com/share/16nYfvBgQg/

Thanks to Catalyst Participants and parents for helping us set up.for the Reach for the Stars STEM Fair tomorrow! We are so excited for tomorrow! All are welcome!

A BIG Thanks to our parents and Kenji for helping us move all the supplies to McKimmon Center for our Reach for the Stars! Be a Star! STEM and Resource Fair for K-12 Students with Disabilities tomorrow! We really appreciate all their help!! They made a hard job easy!! We love our parents in Catalyst!

Amazing job Mark, Dylan, Sam, Ethan, Yaheli, Brendan, Sadie and Natalie stuffing all the bags for the Reach for the Stars STEM Fair next Saturday! Great team work and help!

Had a great second day in Arches, exploring the arches and caves. We also went to Moab Museum for a program in Geology and history of the area.We had a fun jeep trip on the afternoon and early evening. We learned a lot about geology and ecology and had fun exploring!

Had a great last day in Moab on another Jeep Trip at Onion Creek and in the Canyons. We had a great adventure and learned lots in Colorado and Utah.

Had a wonderful first day of our Senior Field Studies Trip. We went to many sites of Mesa Verde. It was amazing to learn about the Native Americans and their culture and see they buildings from 750-1050 CE. We learned about the ecology. We saw New Mexico, Colorado,Arizona and Utah and where they met. We ended our day with a history and ghost tour of Cortez. We had a great first day