For more information, contact:
Marcia Spector, Executive Director - Seeds of Health, Inc.
414-390-0825
[email protected]
Vertias High School graduate Irma Quezada becomes first alumna of Alverno’s Girls’ Academy of Science & Mathematics to graduate Alverno College
MILWAUKEE (Jan. 17, 2018) – Seeds of Health is proud to share that Veritas High School graduate, Irma Quezada has become the first alumna of the Alverno Girls’ Academy of Science & Mathematics to graduate from Alverno College with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry.
Quezada attended the Girls’ Academy of Science & Mathematics during her time at Veritas High School. The Academy is an after-school program that was created to encourage minority high school girls to pursue a college degree in science. On Friday afternoons, selected junior and senior high school students are transported to Alverno College where they experience theme-based science courses and college readiness programs. The students are provided with dinner in the college cafeteria and are able to use the library and other resources that are open to all Alverno students. Transportation for the girls to their homes is also provided at the conclusion of each week’s activities. Founded in 2011, the Academy program runs for 22 weeks and has served more than 250 students from 15 different high schools in the area.
Quezada earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Alverno College last spring. During her time there, she was a Promise Scholar and Doherty Scholar, a student mentor, lab assistant and tutor. She participated in scientific research with Alverno faculty and volunteered for the Milwaukee chapter of the American Chemical Society. Quezada also had an internship with the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District where she worked in its biochemical oxygen demand lab. She accomplished all of these things while working full time to pay for her education.
“We are incredibly proud of Irma’s accomplishments,” said Marcia Spector, Executive Director of Seed of Health, Inc. “Her passion and dedication for women in STEM is truly admirable!”
Founded in 1983, Seeds of Health, Inc. is the only K-12 charter school agency in the state of Wisconsin serving approximately 1,300 students in four high schools and a K-8 elementary program. The five individual and unique education programs serve a broad range of student needs – from at-risk to the college bound. Seeds of Health is Milwaukee’s innovative “home grown” answer to imaginative, collaborative and cutting-edge education options, with the vision to positively impact the growth and development of urban children. For more information, please visit www.seedsofhealth.org.
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