The 2024-2025 AAUW Tampa Branch STEM Scholarship is now open. We look forward to announcing scholarship winners on this page in the spring. You can read more about our past winners below.
The Tampa Branch of American Association of University Women (AAUW) offers scholarships to Florida resident college and university students seeking undergraduate or graduate degrees in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) programs. Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:
Eligibility
- Rising Undergraduate Junior, Undergraduate Senior or Graduate Student
- Full time enrollment
- STEM Major
- Minimum GPA of 3.0
- Resident of the State of Florida
- U.S. Citizen
- Financial Need
The 2024-2025 application is now open.
The application will close February 16, 2024.
Click here to access the 2024-2025 application.
If you have questions about AAUW Tampa Branch STEM Scholarships contact us at
AAUWTampaScholarships@gmail.com
AAUW Tampa Branch 2023-2024 STEM Scholarship Recipients
Name: Alyssa Clare
Major: Doctor of Medicine (MD)
Hometown: Boca Raton, Florida
Graduation Year: 2025
Campus Involvement: Alyssa, currently serves as treasurer of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Interest Group and secretary of the Pediatrics Interest Group, allowing her opportunities to further connect with classmates while also exploring two fields of medicine. Alyssa is also the Collegia Chair for the Lower Collegium at USF. Through mentoring and hosting events, Alyssa supports incoming first-year MD class in transitioning to medical school. She also works with the Office of Admissions interviewing candidates who are interested in attending University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine for their medical training.
Future aspirations: While admitting she still has much of her medical training left, Alyssa’s current career path is to become an OB-GYN and work with women experiencing infertility. She also desires to work in academic medicine, so that she can teach and mentor medical students.
Name: Emma Pritchett
Major: Architecture The Master of Architecture degree (M. Arch.)
Hometown: Port Charlotte, Florida
Graduation Year: 2024
Campus Involvement: Emma is a member of the American Institute of Architecture Student Organization and has served as treasurer. She also mentors incoming students enrolled in the architecture program at USF, which can be overwhelming – learning multiple new skills, including laser cutting, 3D printing, woodshop skills, and numerous 3D/ rendering software programs. She has submitted various work samples for competition and been recognized by The American Institute of Architects, The National Association for Women in Architecture, The Art Advocates of Sarasota, Florida, and The Future Builders of America.
Future aspirations: As a first-generation college student, Emma is proud to represent women in STEM as only 24% of registered architects in the U.S. are women. She is eager to contribute to a workforce environment that is more diverse, giving girls an opportunity to see themselves reflected in the field of architecture. Upon graduation from the University of South Florida’s School of Architecture and Community Design, Emma plans to become a licensed architect, exploring the relationship between architecture and branding, re-envisioning the consumer relationship with the retail experience. This is a perfect blend of her interests in design, art, history, and culture.
Name: Zoe Webster
Major: Health Sciences with a concentration in biological sciences
Hometown: St. Petersburg, Florida
Graduation Year: 2025
Campus Involvement: Zoe currently serves as an executive chair for The National Council of Negro Women and is a member of The National Society of Black Women in Medicine, the Pre-PA Society and the Black Leadership Network. This semester Zoe was inducted into the 2022-2023 class of Women’s Summit sponsored by The Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Women’s Summit is an initiative featuring informative classes with senior coaching staff and club executives who promote career development for women pursuing careers in the NFL.
Future aspirations: In the future Zoe is singularly focused on becoming a Physician Assistant.
AAUW Tampa Branch 2022-2023 STEM Scholarship Recipients
Name: Emily Checchio
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Hometown: Niceville, Florida
Graduation Year: 2023
Campus Involvement: Emily is a member of the USF student chapter of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES). This past semester, Emily was part of a research and development team for BMES, assisting in the development of a robotic arm that mimics movements of its user. This research was presented at USF’s Annual Engineering Expo. Emily is also a member of the USF chapter of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), which supports and empowers women in STEM related fields and encourages young girls to pursue engineering professions. In addition, Emily was selected for entry into the Judy Genshaft Honors college at USF. Only 600 students, 5% of each class enrollment, is awarded this learning experience that combines the resources of USF with the personal attention and close-knit community. This summer Emily will receive training to be a peer mentor for the incoming class of USF’s Judy Genshaft Honors College. She will have the privilege of teaching the fundamentals of professionalism and assisting first year students in transitioning to college. In addition, through the Honors College, Emily will continue research on the ocular system with Christopher Passaglia, Ph.D, USF Professor in the Department of Medical Engineering. Knowing that keeping physically fit is essential in balancing a challenging academic course load, Emily is a member of USF’s Running Club, having participated in several long-distance competitions.
Future aspirations: Emily’s current educational plans are to finish a Bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering with a minor in Chinese. She plans to attend graduate school, earning a Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering. Her specialization will be in rehabilitation, manufacturing prosthetics and orthotics. Continuing a love of language, Emily will continue studying Chinese as well as Japanese and Spanish. Even after graduate school, Emily plans to take it to the next level enlisting in the Air Force and attending medical school. While it’s a few years down the road, possible areas of study are vascular and orthopedic surgery. With a head full of knowledge and skill, Emily’s desire is to travel around the world helping others and putting her language skills to good use.
Name: Jasmine Rodriguez
Major: Industrial Engineering
Hometown: Palm Harbor, Florida
Graduation Year: 2024
Campus Involvement: At the University of South Florida, Jasmine is involved in the USF Tennis Club. She is a member of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), Society of Women in Engineering (SWE), Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineering (IISE), and the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society. She was initiated into the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society last year based on her high GPA/academic standing. In order to be eligible for Tau Beta Pi, student GPA must be among the top 1/8th of all juniors. A proud moment for Jasmine was being selected to serve on the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society Leadership Board as the Service Chair. This is an opportunity to grow and develop in the areas of leadership, communication, and planning skills.
Future aspirations: After graduation, Jasmine plans to work in an engineering company that benefits the world and helps people. As an industrial engineer, Jasmine’s ultimate dream is to work with team projects, with an emphasis in improving systems while benefiting others. She is grateful for each step moving her closer to graduating and becoming a successful industrial engineer!
Name: Julia Rodriguez
Major: Industrial Engineering
Hometown: Palm Harbor/Dunedin, Florida
Graduation Year: 2024
Campus Involvement: At USF, Julia serves as the Image Chair for Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society. She is also an active member of the following organizations: Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, Society of Women Engineers, Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers, and the USF Tennis Club.
Future aspirations: Julia’s main career goal is to decide which field of industrial engineering she would like to pursue upon graduating. Julia is confident an operations internship with Raytheon this summer will provide more exposure and knowledge about the supply chain. If she enjoys the manufacturing side of industrial engineering, she will pursue it. She will also continue pursuing engineering internships and co-ops to gain more knowledge and experience. Julia will attend engineering events sponsored by various clubs on campus to assist with networking and fine-tune her career plans. Ultimately, she would love to work for a company that shares her values and whose products positively impact people’s lives.
2021-2022 Scholarship winners
Natalie Nagib
Major: Biomedical Sciences
Hometown: Toronto, Canada
Graduation Year: 2022
Campus Involvement: I am currently the President for Sigma Alpha Lambda, a Resident Assistant (RA), the Community Chairperson for Foundation of International Medical Relief of Children (FIMRC), a Peer Advisor Leader (PAL), and a Calculus/Chemistry/Biology/Microbiology Teaching Assistant (TA).
Future aspirations: I plan to attend medical school and eventually work for Doctors without Borders and serve underserved populations abroad. I aspire to serve those who are affected by health disparities in the US and internationally and bring a preventative public health approach to the medical field.
Tyelyn Brigino
Major: B.S. Chemistry
Hometown: Tampa, FL
Graduation Year: May 2021
Campus Involvement: I am currently involved in the USF Student Green Energy Fund Tree Mapping Project as the Principal Investigator. My responsibility is to map the trees on the USF Tampa campus to determine the ecosystem benefits for our urban forest. I am also involved in undergraduate research with the USF Ecohydrology Research group. I have been working on determining groundwater support in streamflow in salmon-bearing streams on the Kenai Peninsula Lowlands, Alaska.
Future aspirations: I plan to attend graduate school in the Fall at USF to pursue my M.S. in Geology. I also plan to continue my research in Alaska.
2020-2021 Scholarship winners
Sarah Dietrick
Major: Chemistry – PhD Candidate. Obtained a B.S. in Chemistry at University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS)
Hometown: Aurora, Colorado
Graduation Year: Expected PhD. Graduation: 2023
Campus Involvement: Secretary of the Chemistry Council of Graduate students (C-CoGS), Marine Biology Club, The Chemistry Society, and Scuba Jew
Future Aspirations: To work at a coral research facility. Sarah wants to conduct dive research to work on the restoration and conservation of coral reefs, either in Florida or on a global scale.
Eve De Rosa
Major: Biomedical Sciences
Hometown: North Syracuse, NY
Graduation Year: 2022
Campus Involvement: Residential Education, Biology Club, Crafts Club, and the Judy Genshaft Honors College
Future Aspirations: Eve is looking forward to working on a Master’s degree and eventual PhD in medical research