Living up to God-given potential: STEAM mentoring for minoritized students in North Carolina
VALLEY FORGE, PA (05/07/2026)—Shamiya, a middle schooler living in rural North Carolina, was excited when she was accepted into a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) summer camp at North Carolina State University — she had always been passionate about science. When her grandmother, who was going to drive her to camp, fell ill, it looked like Shamiya’s dream was going to be shattered. Help came from her great-aunt, who offered to drive her to camp. It seemed like God had made a way where there was none.
The camp that Shamiya attended is run by Global Health Connections International, a ministry that provides underserved Black and Latino students with access to STEAM programs and professionals so our youth can live up to their God-given potential. They turn challenging math and science subjects into fun, hands-on learning experiences for students.
“We know that exposure is the most critical criterion to a person’s success when compared to performance and image,” said Rick Copeland, founder and CEO of GHCI. “If students are to excel in STEAM fields, they need to see STEAM professionals who look like them. Hence, the impetus will be: ‘If that person became a doctor, I can do the same too!’”
The ministry is more than the camp. It also provides various programs that involve exposure to and mentoring by STEAM professionals and afterschool hands-on learning (such as “Cooking with STEM”). Interactive and confidence-building, these programs are building a pipeline of future leaders.
The camp experience was transformative for Shamiya. She developed an interest in drug discovery, and a few years later, she started a biochemistry major at East Carolina University. When the opportunity presented itself to go back to the camp — this time as a mentor — she jumped at it. Her story shows that care and support poured into young people are often multiplied.
American Baptist Home Mission Societies is proud to partner with GHCI to show that God is at work when doors are opened in this way to young people. Ministries like GHCI are the heart of American Baptist home mission. “Give, and it will be given to you… For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you,” teaches Luke 6:38. To support many more students who are following in Shamiya’s footsteps, give here.
By Rev. Dr. Anna Piela, ABHMS senior writer and editor of The Christian Citizen
