On Saturday evening, three New York City natives were awarded at the 31st annual BEYA Global Competitiveness Conference. This annual conference recognizes African-American scientists and engineers for their efforts in the STEM field and for being role models in their communities.
The three awardees, who are all employees of General Motors, were recognized for their efforts in STEM and for being role models. The award recipients are the following:
Trailblazer Award, Stephen Obeng-Agyapong Jr., GM intranet site developer
Modern Day Technology Award, Orly Vincent, GM software developer
Modern Day Technology Award, Darryl Brown, GM design engineer
These three technologists and engineers were recommended by their peers for these awards because of their efforts both at work and in the community.
“At GM, I have been most proud of volunteering at the Big Brother Big Sisters program,” said Obeng-Agyapong, a native of the Bronx. “Through this program, I was able to impact the lives of young kids in the metro Detroit area. A few times a month, I would go to their classrooms and interact with these kids on more than just a mentee to mentor relationship. Because I was able to directly relate to their upbringings, these kids truly saw me as a big brother and for that, I was grateful for the positive impact they allowed me to have in their lives.”
“There is a deficit of skilled STEM workers in the U.S. to support our economy, and minorities continue to be significantly underrepresented in those high-value, high-paying jobs,” said Tyrone Taborn, CEO of Career Communications Group. “BEYA’s movement to reinvigorate STEM education efforts has just begun to build momentum. We’re extremely proud to be pioneers with a rich decades-long history and distinguished reputation for promoting and celebrating multiculturalism in STEM fields.”
Brown, a native of Queens, said, “Being recognized by my peers and leaders to be a recipient of this award is a confirmation of the time and work I’ve put in during my time at General Motors. But it also speaks to the culture of a company that promotes growth and development, which has enabled me to make key contributions to the organization.”
As a highly anticipated diversity event, the BEYA STEM Conference is a talent-rich environment for recruitment, networking and professional development. In attendance are college representatives, thousands of elite professionals and students from across the country who represent the upper echelon of the science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines and careers. The fields of expertise represented at this conference are as diverse as the men and women who attend.
The 31st annual BEYA STEM Conference took place in Washington, D.C., from Thursday, Feb.9, to Saturday, Feb. 11.