Department of Biology

When Isaiah Sloss and Leilanu Jackson think of incredible and memorable summer experiences during their high school years, it’s Indiana University Bloomington’s enrichment programs for science, technology, engineering and mathematics that jump to mind.

Both participated in the Jim Holland Summer Science Programs for high-achieving, underrepresented students in science entering grades 9 to 12. The programs offer them opportunities to learn more about the STEM fields through interaction with faculty and hands-on projects in the field and in the laboratory.

Both Sloss and Jackson said the camps were exciting and instrumental in establishing their career paths.

"I think that was the first time I learned you could go to a college and participate in science and do research hands-on with faculty," said Sloss, who will graduate from the IU School of Medicine this semester and begin a residency in psychiatry with Indianapolis-based Community Health Network. "It was an eye-opening experience, and I got to meet other minorities interested in the sciences."

"One of the biggest lessons it taught me was to be confident in your own ability," said Jackson, a junior at IU Bloomington who will start an accelerated master's program in public affairs in the fall at the Paul H. O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs.

Sloss said that representation in STEM fields is important for minority students.

"What you see helps to create your identity," the Indianapolis native said. "It's hard to be interested in things you don't know exist."

Sloss said he learned of the Jim Holland Summer Science Programs from a high school guidance counselor, who knew he had an interest in science. Sloss participated in the first- and second-year programs in 2008 and 2009, and he saw successful faculty of color who were doing research. He said that made him think it was an attainable goal for himself as well. Additionally, the welcoming feeling the camps created and the support and encouragement from faculty and counselors gave Sloss confidence and made his undergraduate years at IU easier, he said.

During the second-year program, Sloss said he worked on a project that used an electron microscope and a computer program to create a 3D model of a protein's structure to better understand the protein's function.

"It was a fun time," he said. "That was the first time I got a chance to use an electron microscope."

Jackson was encouraged by her mother, a forensic scientist, to participate in the Jim Holland Summer Enrichment Program in Biology. She said she loved that initial experience so much that she continued with the programs every year of high school, including the Summer Science Research Program as a sophomore and junior.

The Marion, Indiana, native said she appreciated how the programs showed her the vast opportunities in STEM fields and that there were other students who looked like her and were as academically motivated.

"I think seeing everybody at the camp performing at the same capacity as I was, being just as engaged and driven academically, I think that was very rewarding," Jackson said.

Some of her memories include going to Griffy Lake to learn about ecology and putting dye into the Campus River and taking samples every five minutes for several hours to measure the rate of dispersion to mimic fertilizer runoff.

"That was really cool," she said of the fertilizer runoff experiment. "We got rained on, so you got to see what happens when things don't go your way in the field and see how that shows up later in your data."

Jackson said the programs also forged lasting friendships with the students, counselors and faculty. She said it prepared her well for the college experience by providing experiences with lectures and lab experiments, and access to IU's admissions and financial aid staff.

That foundation has Jackson eager to start her master's program, which she said will be a good mix of science and policy classes that should prepare her for a career in environmental justice.

Being both Black and a Pacific Islander, Jackson said her goal is "ensuring minority groups are afforded the same environmental benefits as predominantly white populations." She also wants to examine how climate change affects those who live in the Pacific and what climate change means for them in the future.

Jackson's experience with the Holland programs has been so positive that her younger brother has applied to participate.

"It's a great opportunity, especially for students looking to study STEM and then continue their education at IU," she said. "It really provides you a solid foundation of what your experience will be in college, and it gives you a mini family."

The deadline to apply for the Jim Holland Summer Science Programs this year is April 18.