By: Rose Swan
On September 19 at 12:30 p.m., a small group of BCC students gathered in S-329, a narrow beige room that connects several faculty offices, to learn about the PepsiCo Women in STEM Mentorship Program. The program, brought to BCC by Professor Barbara Brown-Abolafia, allows students to meet twice a month with scientists working at PepsiCo, either in person or online, to discuss their goals and challenges in STEM. PepsiCo scientists join the program as volunteers and are trained as mentors by Million Women Mentors, a national organization.
Every year, about 10 students participate in the program. The requirements are minimal: the program is open to women and genderqueer students in STEM majors, but students who plan to major in STEM may also apply. Applicants must be scheduled to graduate in May 2025 or later. Usually, the program receives fewer than 10 applicants and has never had more than 12. If more than 12 apply this year, the program would prioritize the first applicants, and later applicants would be placed on a waitlist. “I would love to have that problem,” says Professor Brown-Abolafia. While the program has a retention rate of over 90%, the few students in its history who have dropped out left their mentors with no opportunities to be reassigned. Having a waitlist would allow the program to fill these gaps while also offering additional students the opportunity to meet with a mentor before the end of the year. Science students are encouraged to apply regardless of major, and those who don’t plan to work at PepsiCo or any similar company are also welcome.
However, Professor Brown-Abolafia stressed that students seeking mentorship from healthcare professionals should seek other opportunities. Professor Brown-Abolafia encouraged prospective mentees to use their relationship with their mentor to build their professional network and to ask their mentors about future opportunities such as internships. This is sound advice, given that the program itself is the result of Professor Brown-Abolafia’s own networking efforts.
PepsiCo mentoring programs already existed at high schools in the area but hadn’t expanded into any colleges. The possibility was discussed at Westchester College, where a friend of Professor Brown-Abolafia was part of the conversation. This friend provided her with the contact information of a PepsiCo representative, which she used to initiate a discussion about bringing the program to BCC. While the program was never implemented at Westchester College, it has survived at BCC, which remains the only college to have such a partnership with PepsiCo.
PepsiCo was not represented at the meeting on September 19, but speakers from the company will give a presentation at the next program event, which will take place on October 16 at 5 p.m. in room C-211.
Students interested in the program should send a short email to Professor Brown-Abolafia at babolafia@bergen.edu as soon as possible.
