“Not only did the Believers program introduce me to robotics, but it also helped me gain teaching and mentorship skills. I now use that knowledge to help students coming up behind me to discover their interest in STEAM-related subjects.”

Since he was young, Jose has always been fascinated with technology—especially video games. Besides gaming, anything involving problem-solving came fairly easy to Jose, so diving deeper into the world of tech seemed like a clear next step for him.

Currently, Jose is a student at Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School and an avid member of the school’s Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) club. Due to his involvement and success in the STEAM club, Jose was asked to join the school’s STEAM mentorship program, in which Cristo Rey High School students lead STEAM workshops for middle school students. It was here that Jose became involved in Deloitte’s Believers program, which was integrated into the school’s STEAM club. The Believers program is an initiative led by Deloitte that aims to advance education and workforce readiness skills by providing high-quality science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning.

“When I started working with the Believers program through the STEAM club, I knew that robotics had to be a part of my future. It was the first time I worked with actual robots and the experience really changed my life.”

As a STEAM club mentor, Jose has sharpened his STEAM skills and bolstered his confidence in communication and presenting—a huge milestone for someone who is typically more reserved. He also developed a joy for teaching and fostering new interests with students, especially as he’s witnessed the significant impact the Believers program has on younger students.

“My favorite part of the Believers program is seeing the impact of everything that I do. I never thought I’d enjoy teaching kids the logic behind coding or how the Smart Rover robots move, but through many workshops, I’ve learned otherwise. Seeing their faces light up reminds me why I joined the STEAM club in the first place.”

Jose and the other mentors have been able to teach the central fundamentals of robotics, something they weren’t able to do before the Believers program because they didn’t have the necessary resources.

Working with the Believers program has also allowed Jose to further define his own career goals and prompted him to begin planning beyond high school. After graduating from Cristo Rey, Jose plans to study software engineering. Ultimately, he wants to work toward a career as a programmer and will likely pursue his passion for game development.

“The Believers program has made me more interested in pursuing a STEM career in the future. I love challenges, and I think what makes me so interested in programming is the challenges that come with it. Writing code isn’t something that normally works the first time you run it, and it involves a lot of problem-solving to fix the issues. The Smart Rovers helped me learn how to use programming to solve problems, which is something that I see myself doing in the future.”

The Believers program has exposed many students to things that they didn’t have access to before. For Jose, it has not only expanded his knowledge but also allowed him to step outside of his comfort zone and gain new skills through teaching younger students. Above all, it has given him a better understanding of the possibilities beyond high school, including opportunities he can pursue with a STEM education.

“I BELIEVE that this program is important because it allows young kids to learn and experience STEM topics that aren’t easily accessible in their areas. Helping people from under-resourced communities is a wonderful goal. It’s what makes this program so impactful and important, because we’re guiding kids toward the future.”