

spotlight
Student
Nyla Baxter
Chemical Engineering at North Carolina A&T State University
Nyla Baxter is a Sophomore Honors Chemical Engineering scholar at North Carolina A&T State University! She is an Honors Dowdy Scholar, and she was the recipient of the 2023 Whiteside Foundation Scholarship.
Upon arriving at NCAT, she immersed herself in the campus community by being a part of the Student Government Association as an intern and becoming an Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society member. Additionally, she serves as an Honors College Ambassador and the Community Outreach Chair for "A World of STEM," an organization geared toward teaching elementary and middle school students about STEM education while promoting mental well-being.
As an aspiring Chemical Engineer, she recently completed an internship with the Dow Chemical Company this summer! She worked as an improvement engineer intern, and she executed numerous projects for their Glycol Ethers unit to enable safe and efficient plant operations!
Recently, she launched a platform called "The Gem Drop" on Instagram! With this, she aims to utilize her God-given gifts to uplift, inspire, and inform the next generation through speech and written word, empowering them to reach their full potential, develop self-awareness and self-care, and ultimately positively impact the world!
All in all, Nyla embraces every opportunity that comes her way with hope and enthusiasm, hoping not only to achieve personal success but also to leave behind a positive legacy inspiring others toward greatness!



Toni Dismuke
Computer Engineering at Howard University
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Toni Dismuke is a sophomore Computer Engineer major at Howard University. This past summer, she had the privilege of interning at Amazon in Seattle, Washington, within the Last Mile Delivery department as a Software Design Engineer Intern. During her time there, she gained invaluable experience in software development and teamwork, and deepened her understanding of Amazon’s leadership principles.
One of her key projects involved developing a dynamic webpage for their team's debugging service. Built with React and hosted on AWS, this site features a highly interactive UI with server-side rendering to streamline our ticket resolution process. This project gave her the opportunity to collaborate closely with both team members and other engineers, ensuring seamless integration with existing systems.
Toni also had the chance to tour a delivery station, where she learned about the processes of associates, machines, and the package lifecycle from purchase to home delivery. It was both an educational and eye-opening experience. She stated that "As my first internship experience, it was incredibly rewarding to see over 12 weeks of hard work culminate in a tool that will benefit my team for years to come."
She is recognized as a Karsh STEM Scholar at Howard University, she's affronted the opportunity to pursue research in any academic field! The program focuses on preparing scholars to pursue PhDs or MD/PhDs in STEM disciplines, aiming to increase the number of underrepresented minorities in STEM doctoral programs. Scholars participate in workshops, seminars, and courses that are geared toward leadership development, professional skills, and preparation for graduate school.

Brooklyn Givens
Biomedical Sciences at North Carolina Central University
​Brooklyn Givens is a Junior Biomedical Sciences major at North Carolina Central University. Over this past summer, she participated in SHPEP at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California.
The six-week program offered a unique interprofessional approach, focusing on team-based learning in foundational sciences, healthcare disparities, and policy, all while emphasizing patient experience.
Brooklyn was given the chance to connect with fellow healthcare enthusiasts and professionals and gain practical and hands-on skills through clinical experiences.
