5 questions for …Debra Hettleman Plant

Photo by Desiree Myers

TU-based program helps underserved minority high-school students pursue college, careers

They're smart, talented and interested in science and technology careers. Building STEPS Executive Director Debra Hettleman Plant says the organization helps them overcome obstacles en route to achieving their dreams.

Tell me about Building STEPS.
The acronym stands for Sceince Technology Education PartnershipS. We're a nonprofit organization that exposes

bright, underserved  students to science and technology-based careers and helps them excel in those fields where minorities are overwhelmingly underrepresented. Matthew Weinberg, CEO of The Weinberg Group, a worldwide scientific consulting firm, founded Building STEPS in Washington, D.C., in the mid '90s; it relocated to Baltimore around 2000. We worked out of a small office, starting with 20 juniorsr from Dunbar, Southern and Woodlawn high schools.

How do students get involved in the program?

They must be interested in science and tech-based fields, and they need at least a 3.0 GPA to apply. We recruit them as sophomores and work with them during their junior and senior years, organizing monthly seminar days in which our business and university partners expose them to and educate them about professional opportunities. We also help students complete the college applications process and arrange for them to have paid summer internships. Building STEPS provides a support system: Participants know they can turn to me and to one another for guidance and encouragement, and that's really crucial. It's definitely a collaborative effort.

What sorts of challenges do Building STEPS students face?

For one thing, they don't have professional role models at home. Many are from blue-collar, single-parent or "no-parent" families—that is, they live with grandparents or other relatives. Their classmates may not think it's cool to get good grades. When you consider what they're up against, it's incredible that 94 percent of Building STEPS participants go on to college and 85 percent of those graduate. We have some students in graduate school. One just earned a graduate degree and is going on to medical school. Our class of 2007 was accepted to 33 colleges and offered $650,000 in scholarships. Collectively, Building STEPS graduates have been accepted by 50 colleges and offered a total of $2.5 million in scholarship funds.

How did Building STEPS come to TU?

Jim Clements, Acting Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs has served on our board since 2000. We had a board meeting in which it became clear that Building STEPS was growing and needed more support, and Dr. Clements invited us to relocate to the campus under DECO's auspices. Since moving here six months ago, we've expanded to three additional Baltimore-area high schools: Forest Park, Milford Mill and Randallstown. We recently received a $4,000 grant from TU's Mid-Atlantic CIO Forum that will enable Building STEPS to bring technology directly to the 40 incoming juniors. Dr. Clements encouraged us to apply for that funding. He has always supported our goals and, most important, our students.

What do you find most rewarding about your association with Building STEPS?

We invite alumni back for our annual Achievement Luncheon, and so many say that if it hadn't been for Building STEPS, they wouldn't be in college. When kids send you thank-you notes, you remember how important a role Building STEPS plays in their lives.

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