NSBE - Convention 2020 - 42

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NSBE Golden Torch Honorees
PRE-COLLEGE INITIATIVE FEMALE
STUDENT OF THE YEAR
Justice Bell
Queen City NSBE Jr. Chapter
Justice Bell has a hunger for learning,
whether it's new knowledge in the classroom or how to be a better community servant, leader or friend.
That desire has led her to enroll in Advanced Placement Courses
at David W. Butler High School, in Matthews, North Carolina,
where she is a senior with a 4.26 weighted/3.81 unweighted cumulative grade point average. It has also motivated her to seek
out and participate in numerous community and extracurricular
activities. Since the fall of 2013, she has been a member of the
Queen City NSBE Jr. Chapter, actively involved in the Charlottebased organization as current captain of the VEX Robotics
and Ten80 Racing Challenge teams; as a mentor and science,
technology, engineering and math (STEM) tutor for her younger
peers; and as the president of the chapter for the last two years.
Meeting with her NSBE Jr. chapter on weekends, and
sometimes more often, at the University of North Carolina at
Charlotte, Bell and her peers have learned to "think outside of
the box" to build and program robots to perform certain functions; document their meetings, discussions, designs, results
and re-work; and speak to judges about their process and preparation, which teaches the students about technical writing and
presentations. With her commitment and involvement, Queen
City NSBE Jr.'s VEX Robotics and Ten80 teams have won more
than 17 awards in the last four years.
Bell constantly challenges herself to higher achievement, as
she moves toward her goal of becoming an engineer.
PRE-COLLEGE INITIATIVE MALE
STUDENT OF THE YEAR
Joshua Bobbitt
Chicago State University NSBE Jr. Chapter
Joshua Bobbitt, president of the Chicago
State University NSBE Jr. Chapter, has
proven himself to be a dedicated, hard-working teammate who
is passionate about science, technology, engineering and math
(STEM). A NSBE member for more than five years, Bobbitt has
participated in multiple activities and competitions, including
his chapter's award-winning MATHCOUNTS and Ten80 Student
Racing Challenge teams. He is now in his third year of competition with the Chicago State chapter's BEAST XLR8 VEX Robotics
team, which won the Excellence Award at NSBE's 44th Annual
Convention in Pittsburgh, in 2018, and had the opportunity to
compete at the VEX Robotics World Championship.
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NSBE MAGAZINE * CONVENTION 2020

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 41

In and out of the classroom, Bobbitt makes his presence
felt. Now a senior at Whitney M. Young Magnet High School
in Chicago, Illinois, he has shown himself to be a leader. A
principal scholar for all four years, Bobbitt has given time,
blood, sweat and tears to his school community. President of
the African American Culture Club; the school's Black student
union; and the Natural Hair Club, an organization dedicated
to Black hair and culture, he has added greatly to the culture
of the school and has shared the Black perspective with his
classmates. He also serves as an intern for the school's Math
Department chair, tutoring students during the day and
making himself a reliable resource for his students to gain
understanding of mathematics. He is a well-rounded student, interested in many subjects, including math, Mandarin
Chinese and Black culture and art.
CORPORATE-EDUCATION
PARTNERSHIP
BP
The world is changing, and BP understands that as global energy demand rises and fuel mix shifts toward
a lower-carbon economy, meeting the world's need for more
energy sources requires a spirit of innovation and purpose.
BP's scientists and engineers are helping drive this transition, but the rising demand for innovators in the energy sector means the U.S. needs more graduates with the right skills
in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). That's
why BP is working with community and educational partners
- such as the National Society of Black Engineers - to find
ways to help close the skills gap and encourage students,
especially girls and underrepresented minorities, to pursue
STEM careers. BP has supported STEM education programs
across the nation for more than six decades, investing nearly
$42 million in the past five years alone. The company's efforts
are focused on teacher training and development, sponsoring
student programs that inspire STEM learning, and encouraging employees to volunteer and mentor in their communities.
BP's U.S.-wide volunteer education program, the BP STEM
Ambassadors, mobilized employees to make a direct impact
in their local schools and communities. In addition to promoting STEM education with students at the primary, middle and
secondary levels, the company continues its engagement
with universities. BP offers real-world, hands-on opportunities
for college students to learn about the energy industry and
work with emerging technologies through various initiatives, including the Ultimate Field Trip and IST Sophomore
Experience.
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NSBE - Convention 2020

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