SUMMER Mentors 2025
Meet the Summer STEM Mentors from 2025
About the Summer STEM Mentors from 2025
We asked, “What excites you about working with young people in your community?”
Abigail Casey, Burlington: Young people are our future. They have many ideas that they want to use to help change the world. As a kid, I had many good mentors who encouraged my ideas and helped me grow confident in my skills and abilities. I want to be that person for another child. Being a college student offers me a unique position to connect with children. I am older than they are and have gone through many similar experiences to theirs, but I feel less removed from this time in their lives than their parents do. I can connect with them on a different level than even a teacher can, simply because I feel closer to their age, and they see me as someone closer to their age. I know how important it is to connect with children in the capacity I am now because I can significantly impact how they grow and proceed throughout the rest of their school years.
Young people need guidance and encouragement to reach their goals, and it is incredible to see how they flourish with this encouragement. As I worked with students last summer in STEM subjects, I witnessed them grow and learn, even when an activity was challenging. I wish I had experienced having a place like this to go during the summers to grow, learn, and receive encouragement, and I want to provide this for students. Children are our future, and I want to help the future become the best it can be.
Aidyn Saucedo, Laramie: We need to ensure that the leaders and adults of our future are prepared to make informed decisions. I want to show young people how to collect the correct evidence they are looking for and how to accurately decode what data they are collecting. That excites me: my future is in their hands. When we prepare youth for adulthood and teach them ways to problem-solve, we can let them go on their own and have them explore it themselves. A world where people know how to gather all the information before making their decisions and where they are willing to change those decisions based on new information that has been released is a world that will see from others’ points of view and have empathy for one another.
Allison Morrison, Basin: Growing up, I always admired the older kids in my community—their energy, confidence, and leadership made them role models I aspired to be like. Whether it was their positive attitude or the way they included and encouraged younger members, like myself, to get immersed in the activity. Now, I have the opportunity to be that role model for the next generation.
Ashley Baros, Torrington: I have been working with my current job as Supervisor in an afterschool program for over twelve years. In our small town, there are not many activities for children to participate in or places for children to go explore/learn. Our program is constantly looking for opportunities, whether it’s an activity of our own or partnering with other entities, to help our youth incorporate STEM and social well-being into their lives. Working with students is my passion and I love that the more knowledgeable I am, I can be a better teacher.
I value a good education and see how easily influenced my community is. I believe that if I can be a positive/safe person for our youth I can build better relationships with families. Having support from families and community organizations is very important to me. In my small community, I want to be viewed as someone who is always willing to support the whole family. Whether my services can be offered through teaching, listening, volunteering or providing additional resources. If STEM is something that can excite us as adults, we can excite the young people we work with and make a difference!
Jada Floyd, Torrington: I have always had a passion for helping and mentoring kids in my community and beyond. Being able to guide them and teach them lessons that will last a lifetime is more than an accomplishment to me. I want to be someone that my younger self needed when she was growing up, someone that is fun, confident, and has the best interest of the youth in mind. I think having people my age in the lives of youth is especially important because I become someone that they aspire to be, so being able to be a role model is a huge blessing. Sometimes kids do not have a healthy role model outside of the program and without us, they may feel hopeless. I enjoy being someone that they look forward seeing, opening up to, and being a safe space for them when they can not find that anywhere else. Additionally, I have multiple younger siblings that I have spent majority of my life watch grow and I want the support system for other kids just as much as I want and provide it to my siblings. I love working with kids and helping them understand that their goals and dreams are reachable. These are the most crucial years of their lives and it is extremely important that we are making sure their needs are fulfilled.
Katie Shields, Riverton + UW STEM Academy: I love working with kids of any age in my community. I often volunteer for children’s ministry at church and led visits to elementary schools while in high school. I have always had a passion for working with kids. Kids are excellent at teaching you patience, regardless of age. Young children are learning how the world around them works, which requires patience as they make these discoveries. Older kids are going through life changes, often stressful, and sometimes they just need patience from a mentor. I also find joy in working with kids. Rarely is there a time that I am working with kids where I am not laughing. I feel blessed to be in a position where I so often get to fulfill my passion of working with kids. Now, as I am getting older, I am hoping to extend my work to older kids, or youth. This led me to a camp counselor position for UW’s STEM Academy. I know how important it is for youth to have mentors they trust in and look up to. I think it is especially important for them to have college age mentors, as it gives them a glimpse and comfort into the next step in their life.
Many of the kids I work with are involved in 4-H, an organization that has played a significant role in shaping my own character, morals, and leadership. Through my time as a Park County Junior Leader, I’ve had the opportunity and privilege of mentoring younger members in hands-on activities like catapult and pasta bridge construction, helping them develop creativity, teamwork and confidence. More recently, I’ve worked with youth in livestock projects, teaching them showmanship techniques and how to grow an athlete. Seeing their excitement and growth fuels my passion for working with young people.
I hope to be a source of encouragement and guidance, just as others were for me. Helping kids gain confidence, develop new skills and find joy in their activities is incredibly rewarding. I look forward to continuing to inspire and support the next generation of leaders in my community.
Kelli Frimml, Worland: When it comes to working with youth, of any age, I feel a sense of purpose. I’m passionate about working with youth because I see so much potential in them – the kind that just needs a little push in the right direction. It excites me to be a part of that journey for them, to help them discover what they’re capable of, especially when they might not see it yet. Whether it’s through mentoring, teaching, or just showing up consistently, I get to help them build confidence and explore their strengths. To me there is nothing more rewarding than seeing a young person realize they can lead, create, and dream big, just as I did once and continue to do at 21 years old.
Lauren Lynde, Gillette: Our future starts with our youth. If we can expose them to different subjects and forms of learning in a way where they feel a sense of hope that anything can be achieved, not only will we change their world but also our own. When we inspire youth to chase after crucial and challenging STEM careers, we can give them a hope and something to work towards. I’ve seen many of my classmates obtain jobs they hate and live a passionless life, simply because they were not urged to chase after more. My hope would be that every child would get exposure and encouragement, and be able to live a life of passion! | Learn about Lauren’s experience with the Y.E.S. House in Gillette!
Maisie Baros, Torrington: What excites me is how you can make an impact on a young person’s life. Especially if they don’t have a good role model in their life, I feel as though I could be that person for them: a mentor and a professional friend. Each young person is unique and they bring their own life experiences, needs, and expectations.
Mia Saucedo, Torrington: They are our future! Being able to help guide the young people of my community to help make it a better place and them understanding things a little bit better with help from me is what excited me most. STEM encourages and helps students learn in ways they find best to learn. Encouraging and helping young people learn the whys of things in our everyday lives is very important for a better future.
Mission: We bridge the gap between Wyoming’s out-of-school programs and the communities they uplift, fueling them with resources, support and opportunities that inspire lifelong learning, growth and connection.
Family of Funds
