Review of My Summit STEM Fellowship (SSF) Experience

By: Emily Chen

Hi! I’m Emily, a junior in high school who’s participated in the Summit STEM Fellowship (SSF) for the past two summers. Last year, I was a fellow myself, new to all of the experiences that the fellowship had to offer, and this year I came back as a Peer Ambassador, welcoming and supporting the students whose shoes I’d once been in.

When I first applied, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was only a freshman in high school who was interested in the broad areas of math, computer science, and engineering, but I had no idea how to apply these to something I could pursue in the real world. That’s where I think SSF truly helped me the most.

I wanted to write this because when I was first applying, I remember wondering: Is this actually worth my time? Will I learn anything useful? Or is it just another “summer program” that sounds impressive on paper but doesn’t really matter?

Now that I’ve gone through it twice, I can honestly say SSF is VERY different. Here’s why.

Where I Was Before SSF

Since I was very little, I knew I had some sort of a passion for STEM. I’ve competed in math competitions since I was in elementary school, I was always taking supplementary coding classes, and science classes were always some of my favorites. Then, I enrolled in a magnet high school geared towards students interested in STEM like me, which meant my curriculum was focused on engineering and advanced sciences. 

I was learning a lot, but I wanted to make a real-world impact and wasn’t sure how to expand my passions outside of school. That’s where I felt kind of stuck–I knew what I liked, but I didn’t know what to do with it.

Attending the Fellowship as a Student

Summit STEM runs for three weeks in the summer and is structured as a flexible, part-time fellowship. That was honestly one of the most appealing parts at first because I could participate fully in this alongside other classes and activities I had going on. However, by the end, I not only benefited from this flexibility, but I actually got so much more than I could’ve expected out of the fellowship in such a short amount of time.

Here were some of my favorite parts of the program:

The main lectures were called fireside chats, and we heard from many incredible mentors who had done everything from starting wildly successful nonprofits to winning international science fairs. They walked us through exactly the skills they developed and harnessed to become successful in high school, and inspired us fellows to make an impact.

There were also a number of career panels, where each one would center around a certain STEM career area, from technology to medicine to business. These gave us an actual glimpse into what it would be like to pursue these fields, and gave me a better sense of what I did and did not want to do in the future.

Every weekend, there was something called an “ideathon,” which presented a hands-on challenge for us to take on in teams. This included things like designing an app and creating a resume, and not only encouraged us to think creatively but also helped us develop skills that would be crucial in our professional lives. They were also very fun, and I got to meet a lot of new people.

On Saturdays, there were also office hours where students could meet one-on-one with the mentors and build connections with them, which I also thought was a wonderful opportunity!

My favorite part of the program overall was probably the community it fostered. Everyone I met was very open and genuine, and they were all incredibly smart and ambitious students who motivated me to pursue my passions. Also, after hearing some of the speakers talk about starting their own organizations, the SSF discussion boards became a welcoming place for fellows to share their own initiatives that they had started or wanted to start. It was amazing to see what everyone was working on, and it created such a supportive community.

Inspired by those speakers who had started their own organizations, I also became more motivated than ever to begin my own nonprofit based on one of my passions, which is crocheting.

Coming Back as a Peer Ambassador

This past summer, I was excited to experience a different aspect of the program as a Peer Ambassador, a returning fellow who welcomes new students and helps them adjust to the program. I absolutely loved getting to know the fellows and learning about their interests and amazing endeavors. I was able to give advice to a lot of students who were younger than me, and see all of these new and impactful student initiatives form. 

Having recently started a nonprofit called Toys 4 Joys Global, which donates handmade crocheted stuffed animals to those in need, a friend and I struggled to gain outreach and volunteers for our initiative. Not only were the SSF mentors and staff extremely supportive of our nonprofit throughout the program, but the students were endlessly helpful as well. Upon posting about our need for volunteers on the fellowship discussion board, almost thirty eager fellows filled out our interest form.

All in all, being a Peer Ambassador showed me how strong the community that SSF creates really is. Everyone–mentors, peer ambassadors, staff, students–is genuinely supportive of one another and wants to see each other succeed. It’s collaborative, not competitive–which is not something you find everywhere.

Takeaways

Looking back, I gained so much from the Summit STEM Fellowship, and not all of them were solely STEM-related. 

First of all, the program helped me discover where my interests truly lie, and that I wanted to dive deeper into AI and robotics, since I had listened to such inspiring talks from professionals in those areas. 

I also gained a ton of skills, like time management and networking. I learned to build connections with all different types of people who may or may not have the same interests as me, and form a strong community of driven peers. 

So, if you’re passionate about STEM, I would 100% recommend applying to the Summit STEM Fellowship. But, I’ll be honest: you get out what you put in. If you just treat it as a box to check for your resume, you likely won’t experience the same fulfillment that I did. On the other hand, if you show up curious and open to new ideas, SSF will change the way you think about yourself and your future in the best possible way. It’s not just a meaningless summer activity–it’s about exploring new possibilities, connecting with mentors who have been in your shoes, and figuring out your own path. Summit STEM gave me mentors that I can turn to for advice, friends who share my passions, and the motivation to actually go out and pursue ambitious goals, which I’ll carry with me for years to come.

9.30.2025