Ashna P.

Growing up, Ashna's parents instilled the importance of helping others in her. Entering high school, she brought those values with her and did her best to make it a centerpiece in her endeavors and experiences. While in a speech and debate camp, Ashna and a friend had the idea to bring some of the tools that had made the camp inclusive into the science community. Stem & Buds - a by-youth, for-youth organization - uses civic science to foster an understanding that science is not an exclusive domain. Through the use of chapters, STEM & Buds engages with youth in nontraditional programs in an attempt to open the door for everyone to be a part of the scientific community.