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This summer, Summer McLeod from Madison, will join outstanding students from across the state to take part in a unique academic and career-oriented development experience, the National Youth Leadership Forum (NYLF): Pathways to STEM, taking place in Lakeland, Fla. Summer was nominated to attend the forum by her third-grade teacher, Mrs. Copeland, at Madison Creative Arts Academy.
NYLF Pathways to STEM is one of the Envision family of programs (www.envisionexperience.com) that enable students to explore their interests and experience learning beyond the classroom.
Summer is the daughter of Jack and Leslie McLeod. Along with being a student at Madison Creative Arts Academy, Summer is also enrolled in Florida Virtual School, where she takes additional classes. In addition to being a member of Madison County 4-H, Summer is also active in the First Baptist of Madison AWANA Program and ASK (Always Support Kids), where she is an advocate for individuals with disabilities. As active as Summer is in her school, church and community, she manages to maintain an A average in her academic courses. Summer is passionate about reading and playing piano. With dreams of becoming an astronaut and working for NASA, Summer is looking forward to gaining the hands-on STEM experiences that the forum provides.
"As an alumna of Envision myself, I am excited for Summer to meet, work and collaborate with fellow high-aspiring students from other cities and schools," said Amanda Freitag Thomas, SVP for Envision. "Hands down, my favorite part of attending an Envision program was being with motivated students in an environment designed to help us challenge our assumptions, meet new people and grow. Creating that same learning environment is a central focus for all of our programs. At NYLF Pathways to STEM, students build the confidence and skills needed to excel in the classroom while gaining exposure to STEM fields and concepts. They learn how to adapt to and communicate in new situations, to new challenges, and with new people, which, given how rapidly the world is changing due to technology and innovation, are essential skills for success."
Since 1985, Envision programs have served more than 800,000 students in more than 145 countries, with programs designed to help students develop the leadership, scholarship and career skills needed to succeed in today's competitive college and career landscape.