The FOSSI initiative welcomed 151 scholars in its inaugural year. In 2022, the program celebrates its new class of 144 FOSSI scholars, who are from 25 states and will be attending 34 historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) this fall.
See the video below for an inside look into how FOSSI is changing the lives of these amazing scholars.
Meet more of FOSSI’s 2022 class
Jayden Christmas: 2022 FOSSI Scholar Attending North Carolina A&T State University
Jayden is from Rahway, NJ, and attended Mother Seton Regional High School in Clark, NJ. In the fall, she plans to attend North Carolina A&T State University and major in mechanical engineering. Throughout high school, she’s been very active in her school community serving many roles including freshman and sophomore class representative, junior and senior class treasurer, cross country team captain. She discovered her passion for engineering while attending pre-college summer engineering programs, where she studied civil engineering, biomedical engineering, and chemistry. She’s grateful for the FOSSI scholarship and is looking forward to mentoring, meeting her peers, and expanding her network.
Meet Zoey Johnson: 2022 FOSSI Scholar Attending Spelman College
Zoey is from Atlanta, GA, and attended Georgia Cyber Academy. In the fall, she plans to attend Spelman College and participate in the dual degree program, earning a bachelor’s degree from Spelman College in physics and from Georgia Tech in mechanical engineering. Her future goals include earning her Ph.D. in engineering, fully pursuing her studies, and empowering young women to implement social change in technology. Ultimately, she hopes to create an organization that helps young women of color gain vital knowledge and experience as they explore computer science careers.
Meet Taylor Patton: 2022 FOSSI Scholar Attending Southern University and A&M College
Taylor is from Slidell, LA, and attended Fountainebleau High School in Mandeville, LA. In the fall, he plans to attend Southern University and A&M College and major in electrical engineering. He has been interested in technology since he was four years old, and now he wants to use his passion for STEM to help people and improve the quality of the environment. In the future, he sees himself as a successful engineer, improving the life of others, and inspiring people to not only become engineers, but to be the best they can possibly be.
Meet Michael Vouffo: 2022 FOSSI Scholar Attending Texas Southern University
Michael is from Houston, TX, and attended J Frank Dobie High School. In the fall, he plans to attend Texas Southern University and major in mathematics and chemistry. Before he turned 18, he obtained an associate’s degree, became one of the youngest supervisors for the Kroger brand, and he also went through a divorce. He believes these early experiences taught him important lessons and gave him the foundation needed to accomplish any goal. Studying STEM throughout high school sparked a zest for knowledge and, ultimately, he wants to use his passion for STEM to help solve global issues.
We invite companies not currently supporting FOSSI to build their pipeline of outstanding and diverse talent by supporting a FOSSI scholar. Learn more.