Estelle Curran supports STEM at Rosarian Academy

In 2018, Estelle Curran offered support to Rosarian Academy for the benefit of the school’s Freitas STEM Innovation Center. Today, she continues her support of the now thriving program.

With STEM career fields continuing to expand, the world of education has followed the innovation closely.  At Rosarian Academy, offering students the highest quality of academia has long remained paramount.  With this in mind, the Academy solidified a partnership with the Carnegie Science Center to foster advanced STEM education for K-8 students of the school.

The product of this collaboration has become the Freitas STEM Innovation Center.  This monumental addition to the Rosarian Academy curriculum was made possible thanks to generous support from Mary and Mark Freitas, William and Jean Koeppel, Estelle Curran and the Adrian Dominican Sisters.

The center is fully furnished with expert level educational technology, including green screens, projectors, 3D printers, laser cutters, EV3 kits, BeeBots -- and so much more!

NCW Tech & STEM Showcase Goes Virtual

COVID-19 (coronavirus) is cancelling major events across the country. Innovative education initiatives, GWATA and Apple STEM Network say despite recent events, the STEM Challenge is still on!

Annually, the Greater Wenatchee Area Technology Alliance (GWATA) and the Apple STEM Network host the NCW Tech & STEM Showcase in May. The event is a highlight for students in the 29 regional school districts that make up the Greater Wenatchee area. Each year, the showcase brings together students from throughout the area to show off their STEM talents. But with social distancing in full effect due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), plans have changed.

Rather than calling off the NCW Tech & STEM Showcase, GWATA and Apple STEM Network have adapted to the situation. Instead of meeting at the Quincy Public Market and Pybus Public Market (as event attendees typically do each year), the Showcase is going virtual. Taking place over the course of two months, GWATA and Apple STEM Network will provide students with weekly STEM challenges. Each week, a winner will receive a VISA gift card and promotion of their project on social media.

STEM education initiative supporter, Estelle Curran is excited to see that the show will still go on for STEM students in Greater Wenatchee -- despite the challenges posed by COVID-19. Of course, no challenge is ever too large for a student with a passion for STEM! Estelle wishes all participating students ‘good luck’ in completing the STEM challenges hosted by Apple STEM Network and GWATA!

Women in STEM: Scholarship List

Estelle Curran is an active supporter of STEM education initiatives. Specifically, she has helped to benefit programs for children in grades K-8. Recently, she set her sights on the collegiate level of STEM education programs. In this blog post, she discusses scholarships for women in STEM.

As a firm advocate for STEM education initiatives, Estelle Curran has worked to provide valuable resources for children in grades K-8. She truly believes that, as a community, we need to foster a child’s budding interest in technology -- not discourage and push it away. As a whole, Curran believes that the STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) should be embraced by children of all ages. That’s why she has recently dedicated herself to expanding her supportive efforts to students of high school and college age.

Through volunteering efforts, Estelle has noticed a fascinating shift in the STEM student demographic: more and more girls are championing these fields. Not only is this a step in the right direction, but it should be encouraged further! Unfortunately, not everyone can afford to facilitate their dreams. Estelle Curran does not believe this should act as a roadblock between a student and his/her goals and ambitions. With the need for professionals in STEM, more scholarships are cropping up than ever before. Her recent discovery of the increasing female population in STEM studies inspires and motivates Curran to continue supporting these educational endeavors. In particular, there are quite a few college scholarships geared directly towards young women at all levels of collegiate education in STEM majors. 

Here is a list of some truly fantastic opportunities for the intelligent young women bursting into the STEM realms:

Science Scholarships for Women

• Libbie H. Hyman Memorial Scholarship

→ Requirements: Student must be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate level Biology program

• Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship

→ Requirements: Student must be enrolled in a Marine Biology, Oceanography or other ocean-related degree program

• The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Excellence in Science Scholarship

→ Requirements: Individual must have completed a degree in relevant studies and comprehensive research in her field. This particular scholarship intends to recognize and help facilitate the continued efforts of a female Biologist who has contributed significant research on a specific topic or issue.

Technology Scholarships for Women

• Buildium’s Women in Technology Scholarship

→ Requirements: Student must be enrolled in a STEM degree program at an accredited college or university

• Dotcom-Monitor Women in Computing Scholarship

→ Requirements: Full-time enrollment at a college or university under a degree program centered on Computer Science, Computer Engineering or a relevant major

General STEM Scholarships for Women

• BluePay Stem Scholarship

→ Requirements: Student must be enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student studying a degree relevant to the STEM fields


Estelle Curran hopes that this list will act as an excellent resource for young women striving for success in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics!