August 12, 2022
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It is the start of August and the school year will begin soon! Don't forget that we are here for your pursuit of all things STEM! Get inspired with all of the STEM news the STEMINIST brings to you, as well as upcoming events, internships, and news about you and your peers.
Smart Sister 3 - Investing Basics
September 14th - Investing Basics

Join Smart Sister Finance on September 14th to learn how investing works.

To reach your goals you need to not just save, but invest your money too! 
In this class, we will learn:
  • Savings goals and the magic of compound interest
  • Types of investment accounts and how to access them
  • The differences between stocks, bonds and mutual funds
  • Books, apps and websites that can help you learn more about smart investing
The Exelon Foundation STEM Leadership Academies are Done!
Watch on social media (Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIN), and see what has happened at the Exelon Foundation STEM Academies in Philadelphia, College Park, Maryland and Chicago this summer. In this issue of Steminist, look for pictures and news stories highlighting participants' experiences.
This is a email from one of the Exelon Foundation STEM Leadership Academy participants.

"I want to tell you how grateful I am that you are running the STEM Academy! I had a wonderful time meeting other females in STEM and learning about energy. I will take the knowledge and experiences I had this past week and use them in the future.  

It was an honor for my team and I to win the top project award and I want to thank you and your team for all the hard work you did to guide us throughout the program.  

I look forward to being apart of the STEM Academy family in the future."
Philadelphia Exelon Foundation STEM Leadership Academy
The Academy began on Sunday, July 12, 2022, as participants began arriving on the Drexel University Campus. After checking into dorm rooms and changing into the correct color STEM Academy t-shirt, participants walked over to the University Science Center where lunch was served, and Maya Garcia, Community Engagement Manager from Exelon, welcomed everyone. Then the real fun began as See, Run, Do and Candy Collector were used to break the ice and get the participants working as teams.
See, Run, Do
Candy Collector
Participants and executives from PECO and Exelon at a business dinner.
Safe Harbor Hydroelectric Power Plant
All participants received the Everyday Superheroes: Women in Energy Careers book.
Hydropower
by Teegan Mathey and Samantha Booher
Hydropower uses and relies on the water cycle, (the amount of precipitation a specific area receives will determine the amount of water available to be used to produce electricity from a hydroelectric power plant). This means that most hydroelectric plants are built on/near a source of water. To generate electricity, there must be an elevation difference: a dam or a diversion structure accomplishes this.  In a dam, the water is artificially pushed down penstocks (tubes) in the structure, and in tum, this elevation difference creates potential energy. This potential energy is used as the water flows down the penstock (tube) and spins the turbine connected to a generator that produces electricity. The other way to create this elevation is through a diversion structure which uses the run of the river as its potential energy. The effect is the same as a dam, but instead only a portion of the river is diverted to turbines.

While hydropower has been around for centuries now, it doesn't mean that improvements cannot be made with new technology. One of the most promising advancements is a form of technology known as marine hydrokinetic (MHK) technology. This new advancement in the field of hydropower uses the natural movement of the ocean to capture energy from waves or tides. MHK technology has the "potential to generate more than 538 terawatt-hours of electricity a year. To put this figure into perspective, in 2020, coal generated 773.8 terawatt-hours of electricity in the United States (Sonnichsen). The opportunity to generate such a large amount of renewable energy every year would be a giant step in reducing carbon emissions, not only in the US, but across the globe.

There are a significant number of hydroelectric dams across the country that were built close to a hundred years ago. While revolutionary at the time, the turbines are relatively inefficient and can be harmful to wildlife in the area. Redesigned turbines can save money, modifing systems that already exist instead of building new systems entirely. Smaller, less expensive systems, known as modular hydropower, are also being implemented throughout the country. Modular hydropower consists of individual modules spread throughout a river. Together, these modules can produce electricity comparable to a dam. Even landlocked cities can use this technology to take advantage of hydropower in their area, as it can be implemented in places like storm sewers (Nichols).
Hydropower led the energy industry in clean energy for decades and is still a main competitor in the field. With growing concerns of climate change, there is a strong push across theworld to decrease carbon emissions and convert grids to use clean. energy.

These new advancements in the field of hydropower present the question: What if one of the solutions to reducing carbon emissions was right in front of us all along?
A view of the turbine deck at Safe Harbor Hydroelectric Plant.
This is the fish elevator; used to move fish from the bottom of the dam to the top, so that the fish can move upstream to lay eggs. Shad is one species of fish moved by the hydroelectric plant.
One of the generators loading electricity onto the grid.
Exelon STEM Academy participants on the dam.
My Experience at the Maryland/DC Exelon Foundation STEM Academy
by Sarah Romero
I would say that this week has been pretty taxing but rewarding, especially for someone who doesn't usually look to talk to others often. Contrary to what I thought when I first came to the academy, the participants and mentors here are super friendly and inviting, which I found to be a nice surprise.
There's also a lot of work to be done here, including the fast paced STEM challenge, but the tasks here can be pretty fun and a good chance to talk to others. The presentations and tours were very informative, and I especially liked touring in the nuclear plant, as there was a lot to look at and learn about; it was a very special experience for me.

Meeting with executives was a little too overwhelming for me, but once I got used to the noise I got to speak to a few important people, which was pretty neat. Lastly, the food here is very high quality, which I was shocked to see; I was thinking of high school cafeteria food before I got here but the food is actually quite fancy and versatile. Overall, I liked the academy and although it was a little rigorous, it was fun meeting all the people and touring in all the facilities.
Mentor Perspective of the
 Exelon Foundation
STEM Leadership Academy
Julianna Longo
This year I had the opportunity to become a student mentor for the Exelon Foundation STEM Leadership Academy. As opposed to being a participant, I was able to “see behind the curtain” and observe how much work the adult staff and especially Rebecca Lamb put in to making the program run smoothly. I could see how their passion for educating the young women in the STEM field translated to the hard work in thinking out every detail for the program’s activities. I was also able to use my experience with Exelon in order to support the young participants throughout the program. The small age gap between the participants and me enabled me to easily connect with them yet provide them helpful tips I wish I had known. I truly enjoyed my experience as a student mentor because I was able to become the big sister I never could be.

One participant, held herself with a distant air when she arrived at the academy. While she participated in the activities, she did so with a lack of energy and a quiet composure. She was a part of my mentor group, and so I began eating meals with her slowly getting to know her. She came to me to initiate an exercise group and opened to the larger group of girls during activities throughout the week. Finally, on the last day, her challenge group presented in front of ten different executives. As I listened in, her confidence and energy had the judges talking even an hour after the presentation. It was moments such as witnessing this participant’s personal and professional growth that made being a student mentor such an impactful experience.
Summer STEM Activities Continued
Are you in charge of children this summer? Do you have younger siblings that you need to keep busy? Are you working for a summer camp? Here is another website to find fun STEM activities to do with kids this summer.
Spotlighting Exelon STEM Scholars 2021
Samantha Booher - Exelon STEM Scholar
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Mechanical Engineering and Robotics

Exelon has helped me learn and grow in my knowledge of engineering and career development through all the different programs they have hosted throughout the years. The Exelon scholarship helped me choose the school that fits me best without having to worry about the costs. It has also given me the ability to focus on my studies without having to worry about getting a job to pay for college and its expenses. I will forever be grateful for all the opportunities Exelon has provided me.

Since starting my internship I have been able to shadow multiple people throughout the company, going with them to their meetings and going through their work with them. I have also been given my own work to do, this involves going through and filtering data for repeat customer outages and then going in and marking those outages on a coordinate grid.
This is done so that a team can go into the field and take a look at the equipment to see what the problem is and fix those issues. I am looking forward to the rest of summer as I will be able to go out into the field and shadow multiple people in different departments. This will ensure that I get a well rounded introduction to the company and to see what departments I enjoy and might want to work for in the future. Overall since starting this internship I have learned a great deal about PECO and I cannot wait for the rest of the summer to see what else I learn. 
Danielle Thompson - Exelon STEM Scholar

University of the District of Columbia
Mechanical Engineering

The Exelon STEM Academy Scholarship has improved my college experience in ways that matter the most. From introducing me to lifelong friends, to giving me the opportunity to intern in an industry I have been interested in for a while, the scholarship has had an incredible impact on my life, college and career.

Currently I am interning at PEPCO in Substations and Transmission, Protective Relaying. I really enjoy my internship. I am always learning something new, and it’s never a dull moment in the office. It is a privilege to go behind the scenes and learn from the very best in the field. Typically I am working on different projects ranging from energization to low voltage. I regularly visit different substations with the other engineers on my team to make sure the relays are working as they should. Working with a team, such as mine, it is incredibly rewarding to see our hard work pay off. 
Top STEM Scholarships in 2022
Do you see yourself going from high school to college? Visualize your graduation day and then your move in day to the college/university/trade school of your choice.

Do you need help to finance this vision?

This website has some of the top scholarships for STEM students in 2022. You just might find one or more that fit you to a T. Check out the Scholarship360 website for more information.
Exelon and our operating companies are sharing fun updates on social media! Be sure to keep in touch and follow us:

Exelon Foundation STEM Leadership Academy www.exelonstemacademy.org