SEM Link Founder and Executive Director Ms. Tokiwa Smith honored at BEYA STEM Conference

ATLANTA - Feb. 6, 2018 - PRLog -- Atlanta, GA- On February 10, 2018, Ms. Tokiwa Smith, Founder and Executive Director of Science Engineering and Mathematics Link, Incorporated, (SEM Link) will receive the Black Engineer of the Year Award (BEYA) for Educational Leadership- K-12 Promotion of Education. She will be presented the honor by an ambassador of her very own alma mater, Dr. J. Murray Gibson, Dean of the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University-Florida State University (FAMU-FSU) College of Engineering. As a result of Ms. Smith's leadership, SEM Link has engaged over 10,000 youth in hands-on STEM activities which exposed them to over 35 STEM disciplines and connected them with more than 150 members of the STEM community.  "Being an inaugural member of the Advisory Board, I have seen the organization grow from touching students at one school to one that now directly touches students in multiple cities. I personally have seen what true sacrifice and dedication can lead to as over the years she has evolved the organization to keep up with the students of today. In a society where smartphones often have the attention of our youth; SEM Link's programs challenge that status quo and reignites the natural curiosity of children and directs it towards STEM activities and education. "Stated Mrs. Niara Nicholas Advisory Board Co-Chair.

Ms. Smith is a Chemical Engineer, STEM Educator and Social Entrepreneur.  She has devoted her career to providing STEM educational and professional development experiences for pre-college and undergraduate students. SEM Link was founded because she wanted to provide youth with an opportunity to engage in hands on STEM activities and learn about STEM Careers.  She believed that provide them with opportunities to meet and interact with the STEM Community that would engage them in hands on STEM activities and provide first-hand knowledge for pursuing STEM careers. Ms. Smith named the organization SEM Link because its work connects youth with the STEM community and provides them with positive adult role models in STEM. "Ms. Tokiwa Smith's passion for exposing youth to STEM educational opportunities and career fields has been her driving force for more than ten years.  Multiple studies show that the introduction and enjoyment of math and science at an early age exponentially increases workforce readiness and earning capacity later in life. She is literally changing lives." Stated Mrs. Keli M. Holmes, Founding Member of the SEM Link Advisory Board. Ms. Smith is one of the many STEM professionals that will be honored at the conference for their contributions in STEM and STEM Education including Mrs. Alicia Boler Davis, General Motors' Executive Vice President of Global Manufacturing who will be honored as the 2018 Black Engineer of the Year. For more information about the conference and the awards winners, you can visit Awards Recipient Page on the BEYA STEM Conference website. The 2018 BEYA STEM Global Competitiveness Conference will take place Feb 8-10 at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park in Washington, DC.


About SEM Link


Science, Engineering and Mathematics Link, Inc. (SEM Link), a tax-exempt national nonprofit organization, founded in 2005 by Ms. Tokiwa T. Smith in Atlanta, Georgia on the premise that exposure to members of the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) communities is critical to student achievement and career exploration in math and science.  Our two core programs, Experimental Design Program and Math and Science Career Academy, enhance the STEM educational experience for K-12 students by providing them with opportunities to engage in hands-on STEM activities, explore STEM careers and learn about real-world applications of STEM. Since our inception we have served thousands of youth in Atlanta, the San Francisco Bay Area and the Washington DC Metro Area. SEM Link currently serves youth in the Atlanta and DMV areas.  Like SEM Link on Facebook  and follow @semlink on Twitter For more information about SEM Link visit our website at www.semsuccess.org or email us at info@semsuccess.org.





About the BEYA STEM Conference


Each year, the BEYA STEM Conference brings professionals and students from a wide variety of STEM-related fields together for three days to share their experiences and information. You'll see attendees from around the country network while participating in seminars and workshops exploring every facet of STEM career paths. The goal of the BEYA Conference is to create connections between students, educators and STEM professionals while facilitating partnerships with individuals and their local STEM resources. For more information about the conference http://s4.goeshow.com/ccgroup/beyastem/2018/index.cfm