Changing the faces of STEM tomorrow, today: Keshia Ashe at TEDxSpringfield

Keshia Ashe is a Ph.D candidate in Chemical Engineering at the University of Connecticut at the Institute for Regenerative Engineering. She is also co-founder and CEO of ManyMentors, a nonprofit science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) mentoring organization that connects minority and female middle and high school students with inspiring, encouraging, and supporting near-age mentors in the STEM fields.

In this TEDx talk, Keshia discusses how more than ever before, our young people need us to be role models, mentors and guides. She shares how she strives to mobilize mentorship so the participants can help themselves, each other, and the communities in which they thrive.

The theme of TEDxSpringfield's inaugural event held on October 18, 2013, was "Driving Innovation Through Diversity and Inclusion". We are a group of passionate volunteers that believe Springfield and its surrounding areas are full of Ideas Worth Spreading. Springfield is the "City of Firsts" -- the first basketball game, the first motorcycle, the first "Springfield". This event focused on how to use our diversity to bring back the innovation.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)