What happens when two of Texas’ most renowned and innovative institutions join forces to inspire a new generation of high school students to pursue advanced STEM studies?
This summer, Valero, the world’s largest independent oil refiner, and Texas Biomedical Research Institute (Texas Biomed), the nation’s only independent, nonprofit infectious disease research institute with unique resources and more than 80 years of experience, launched a new science education program to provide laboratory research experience to San Antonio high school students.
The Valero Young Scientist Program is inspiring the next generation of scientists. Ptolemy Carola, a senior at Central Catholic High School, sent the following note to Texas Biomedical leaders about her experience:
“This program has been one of the most interesting and fun experiences I’ve had in my high school career,” Carola said. “I never would have imagined I’d be using a PCR machine, doing electrophoresis, or learning with people who share the same interests as me. I can’t thank you enough. You’ve helped me develop an interest that I’ll never forget.”
Texas Biomed’s strategic plan has significantly expanded its overall commitment to STEM education and workforce opportunities. The institute’s various education initiatives reach approximately 10,000 K-12 students across all 17 public school districts, as well as students in public charter and private schools. It also offers internship and training programs for undergraduate and graduate students.
“San Antonio is becoming a hub for bioscience and technology. Texas Biomed’s education team is strategically building training opportunities at every stage of the research-education pipeline and is proud to help grow a new generation of STEM professionals in the region,” said Larry Schlesinger, MD, president and CEO of Texas Biomed.
The intensive four-week Valero Young Scientist program, designed and run by Texas Biomed’s Education Initiatives team, brought together high school students from across the region to conduct advanced experiments, develop fundamental lab and data analysis skills, and apply critical thinking to real-world applied projects.
“We are absolutely thrilled with the success of this summer’s Valero Young Scientist Program,” said Dr. Rosemary Riggs, director of educational outreach programs at Texas BioMed. “Our goal is to provide students with insight into biomedical science through advanced laboratory experiments and to explore career possibilities as they further their education and consider future career paths.”
In addition to focusing on biosciences, the program allows students to build professional connections through one-on-one and group discussions with Texas Biomedical scientists. The program also helps students practice their presentation, communication, and networking skills, as well as collaboration. A variety of guest speakers address students, broadening their knowledge about educational opportunities, career planning, and the importance of building and maintaining a professional network.
The students’ experiments mirrored techniques currently used by Texas BioMed scientists, from culturing bacteria to titrating to gene editing. They applied these techniques to a contact tracing project, demonstrating the real-world impact of infectious diseases and highlighting ways to curb their spread.
Students selected for the program were representative of San Antonio’s diverse communities, including 93% from historically underserved groups, 65% Hispanic/Latino, and 63% female. Approximately 83% of students were from schools with a majority economically disadvantaged population.
“It has been a pleasure and an honor to work with these inquisitive, intelligent young people,” said Dr. Riggs, “and I have watched them develop greater self-confidence and a new outlook for the future. I am certain the impact of this program will last a lifetime.”
“We also appreciate Valero’s generous commitment to making a lasting difference in San Antonio through this project,” she said.
Valero Young Scientist Program: Nurturing the scientists of tomorrow
The program is open to high school juniors and seniors age 16 and older. For more information, visit txbiomed.org.
