Hampton City Schools students selected as National Institute of Aerospace STEM student ambassador interns

Three outstanding Hampton City Schools students—Chanbotrey Soum (Phoebus High School), Joetta Stevens (Kecoughtan High School), and Suri Williams (Bethel High School)—have earned a coveted spot in the National Institute of Aerospace’s Center for Integrative STEM Education (NIA-CISE) STEM Student Ambassador Program. Selected from an impressive pool of regional applicants, these remarkable students will serve as STEM student ambassador interns for the 2025–2026 academic year.

 

In their new roles, Soum, Stevens, and Williams will work to boost STEM fluency and competency across the region, spark interest in career-focused STEM opportunities for learners of all ages, and foster a welcoming, collaborative STEM community.

 

To prepare for these important responsibilities, the trio completed a rigorous hybrid training program. This included an introductory webinar on July 16, a 20-hour in-person training from July 21–24, and independent workplace readiness modules created by the Virginia Tech work-based learning programs. Along the way, they had the chance to collaborate with NIA-CISE’s NASA science communication interns and learn from NASA subject matter experts such as Marilé Colón Robles (project scientist for GLOBE Clouds) and Dr. Carina Poulin (scientific designer, NASA Ocean Ecology Laboratory). They also had the opportunity to interact with Jacob Wologo (science communication specialist and former NIA-CISE/NASA Office of STEM Engagement intern) as well as their fellow STEM student ambassadors from neighboring school divisions, including Chesapeake, Isle of Wight, Newport News, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, and York.

During training, the ambassadors mastered five interactive NASA STEM activities they will bring to the community:

• Seeing Starlite: Life Cycle of a Star
  
• NASA eClips Launchpad: The Great Boomerang Challenge
  
• NASA Space Place: Make a Pastel Aurora!
  
• NASA Heliophysics: Eclipse Chalk Activity (Sun’s Corona)
  
• GLOBE:  Constructing and Using a Clinometer
  
  

On July 23, they put their skills into action, planning and hosting a hands-on event where they engaged scientists, engineers, and staff from NIA in the STEM activities they had been perfecting. By the end of the week, the ambassadors reported greater self-confidence and a stronger sense of agency as science/STEM communicators—ready to inspire others.

Schools interested in bringing Soum, Stevens, and Williams to a Science/STEM Night may contact Betsy McAllister (bmcallister@hampton.k12.va.us). You can also catch them in action at the 5th Annual STEM Exploration Community Event on November 8.

 

The STEM Student Ambassador Internship Program is funded through a Coastal Virginia STEM Hub grant, made possible by the Virginia General Assembly—an investment in the next generation of innovators.