Growing up in Gary, Rayven Anderson always wanted to be an inventor.
Later, she decided to lean more into innovation. The 17-year-old West Side Leadership Academy senior taught herself coding at age 10 through YouTube videos and other online lessons.
“I love code, and I learned on my own,” said Anderson on Tuesday after she and nine other Gary students received STEM signing day bonuses valued at $750 in scholarship money and prizes from Boeing and the Chicago Area Business Aviation Association Educational Foundation. It marked the event’s fifth year.
Josh Hernandez, Vice President of the Chicago Area Business Aviation Association and a pilot, addresses the winners during the 5th Gary STEM Signing Day on April 23, 2024. (John Smierciak/Post-Tribune)
The students received their honors after a lunch at Gary’s ArtHouse: A Social Kitchen.
The students from West Side, Thea Bowman Leadership Academy and Steel City Academy all began their high school careers remotely under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Anderson, president of her senior class at West Side, came to the school her sophomore year.
Iyana Thomas of West Side Leadership Academy (center) and other award winners listen to speakers during the 5th annual Gary STEM Signing Day honoring 10 area students in Gary on April 23, 2024. (John Smierciak/Post-Tribune)
“I didn’t just find a school. I found a community. Within this support, I was able to crawl out of my shell,” she said.
Anderson is still uncertain which university she’ll attend, but she wants to go to a HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). Her deadline is May 1.
Fellow West Side classmate Antwan Jordan, 18, hopes to be the first in his family to earn a degree. He plans to study mechanical engineering at Louisiana State University.
Award winner Antwan Jordan, from West Side Leadership Academy, addresses the audience during the 5th annual Gary STEM Signing Day honoring 10 area students on April 23, 2024. (John Smierciak/Post-Tribune)
“I visited it and fell in love,” he said of the Baton Rouge campus.
Jordan said he fretted over his class standing, shifting from No. 2 to No. 1 and down to No. 5. “Now I know it’s not about the numbers. It’s about the journey. Success is being the best version of yourself.”
Jordan said the remote work in the early days of the pandemic didn’t take a toll on his academic performance, but it made it hard to connect with teachers.
Natasha Smith-Walker, Executive Director of Project Exploration, addresses the award winners during the 5th annual Gary STEM Signing Day on April 23, 2024. (John Smierciak/Post-Tribune)
West Side senior Shakayla McDuffie said she always loved math and will use her signing bonus at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she’ll study finance.
She was drawn to the university for its finance programs and she hopes to become a financial analyst.
Sheonda Anderson said her daughter Rayven was shy her freshman year and transformed at West Side. “She bloomed like a flower. I’m so proud of her.”
Gary Mayor Eddie Melton talks during the 5th annual Gary STEM Signing Day honoring 10 area students on April 23, 2024. (John Smierciak/Post-Tribune)
Her daughter said she joined the school orchestra, and expected success, given her new-found confidence.
“I was wrong. Every day I scraped my bow against the strings making the most horrible sound…”
Anderson said her teacher didn’t pity her. Instead, he played with her as she struggled. “I realized the magic of music is growth and discovery,” she said.
Gary Mayor Eddie Melton told the students not to forget where they came from when they go off to school.
“It’s easy to leave and never come back,” he said, challenging the students to return in some way and contribute to the city.
The students were selected based on STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) engagement while in school and at out-of-school programs during their middle and high school years. The program is available only to Gary seniors who provide proof of acceptance at a two-or-four-year school to pursue a career in a STEM field.
Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
The student award winners were:
West Side: Rayven Anderson, Antwan Jordan, Shakayla McDuffie, Iyana Thomas, Yuri Villa, Jayla Walls
Steel City Academy: Jazzmin Brown, Naima Withers
Thea Bowman: Olivia Davis, Jaylynn Dodson
