Meet the 2025 STEM Forward Scholarship Recipients
Each year, STEM Forward awards $3,000 scholarships to outstanding students from the Milwaukee area enrolled in STEM-related programs to encourage talented students to maintain high academic achievement and service standards. We believe that to add to Southeastern Wisconsin’s talent pipeline, we must provide as many opportunities to students as possible. STEM Forward’s overall scholarship program provides scholarships for eleven students, totaling $33,000, including scholarship renewals. In partnership with our donors, STEM Forward is tremendously proud to be able to help eleven students along on their STEM pathways this next academic year!
The Scholarship Winners will be honored at the 20th Annual Scholarship Fundraiser Golf Outing and Silent Auction on August 14, 2025, at Morningstar Golfer’s Club. We hope you will join us for the Scholarship Reception to hear the inspiring stories from this year’s winners. Learn more about sponsorship options and register today at https://stemforward.regfox.com/golf-outing.
Elizabeth Brauer High School Scholarship Recipient: Maeve Harrison
Hi, I’m Maeve Harrison! I am a senior at Ronald Reagan High School and an IB diploma candidate. I am one of the valedictorians at Reagan High School, with a 4.0 unweighted GPA and a 4.434 weighted cumulative GPA. Next year, I will attend UW-Madison, where I will study agricultural. applied economics, and environmental studies. With my degree, I plan to pursue a career in sustainability and something related to the environment. My interest in the environment was sparked during my junior year, when I took a class called Environmental Systems and Societies. At school, I am a member of Link Crew, a group that helps incoming freshmen in their transition to high school. I am also a part of our Prom Committee and play on the JV soccer team. Outside of school, I have been an Irish dancer for ten years. I also enjoy reading and baking in my spare time. I am honored and grateful to receive the STEM Forward Elizabeth Brauer scholarship!
Southeastern Wisconsin High School Scholarship Recipient: Liliana Ryan
Hello! My name is Liliana (Lili) Ryan, and I am a senior at Catholic Memorial High School. I will attend Carthage College to pursue an engineering degree and minor in musical theatre. I plan to become a mechanical engineer and mentor prospective engineers, interns, and high school students. I have been interested in STEM since I was first exposed to Project Lead The Way classes in middle school at Holy Apostles and got my first taste of assignments using CAD, VEX robotics, and isometric drawings. My engineering knowledge was strengthened throughout my four years in Catholic Memorial's PLTW engineering program. As an upperclassman, I have created and marketed a product with a partner in the capstone course Engineering Design and Development and worked throughout the 2024-25 school year in a mechanical engineering internship at Dynatect Manufacturing. Throughout high school, I have been involved in the Wisconsin Math League, mentoring and emceeing Catholic Memorial's STEM Challenge, and representing the CMH PLTW program at our open houses. I have participated in cross country, track, and the winter musical for all four years of high school, and I plan to run cross country in college. As a Catholic and member of Holy Apostles Parish, I have been an actor at Vacation Bible School, a cantor at Mass, and a volunteer at the parish festival. I want to thank my parents, teachers, friends, and everyone who has made it possible for me to receive this scholarship. I will use it to build an engineering career and serve my Southeastern Wisconsin community.
Marquette University Robert Brauer Scholarship Recipient: Abby Churchill
My name is Abby Churchill, and I am a freshman at Marquette University studying Civil Engineering. I have always had a passion for math and science, and find myself constantly curious about how things are made and the decisions behind making them that way. So, when I discovered a career in civil engineering, it seemed like a no-brainer. As I started my college education, this seemed even more true. However, I have now discovered how engineering can be combined with other passions. From the time I took my first vacation to Disney World, I fell in love with theme parks and all of the engineering that goes into them. I quickly began imagining the dreams I could bring to life through civil engineering. I have also recently discovered my passion for teaching others through my experiences working at a children's summer camp and would love to find a way to inspire children, especially young girls, to pursue a career in STEM. I would especially like to do this in lower-income areas where kids don't always have the resources to learn about or explore STEM careers.
Milwaukee Area Technical College Scholarship Recipient: Karolina Fernandes Costa
My name is Karolina Fernandes Costa, and I am originally from Brazil, where my interest in STEM began while I was studying Construction Management. I enjoyed the engineering aspects of my classes so much that I was planning to enroll in a Civil Engineering program; however, my plans took a bit of a detour in 2021 when I moved to Milwaukee. I knew I still wanted to pursue a career in Engineering, but I needed to improve my English. After two years of practice and taking classes, I finally felt ready to continue my academic journey and enrolled at MATC. Upon completing my Associate Degree in Mechanical Design Technology at MATC, I plan to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. While my passion for pursuing a career in engineering is certainly due partly to my interest in the subject matter, my goal of being an example for my younger sisters and other young women is even more important to me. My grandma, who raised me for most of my childhood, never had the opportunity to go to school and never learned to read or write. She always instilled the importance of education in my younger sisters and me, and told us that we could do anything we wanted if we worked hard enough. This is why my goal is not just to become an Engineer, but also to be the first woman in my family to graduate from college and to show others that they can do anything they put their minds to.
Milwaukee School of Engineering Scholarship Recipient: Alexis Fleegel
Hello! My name is Alexis Fleegel; I’m originally from the small town of Medford, Wisconsin. As the oldest of four siblings and someone who began working at a young age at our family-owned movie theater, I grew up with a strong sense of responsibility, dedication, and integrity. My interest in engineering began early, shaped by my experiences in STEM and Project Lead the Way (PLTW) classes, as well as the influence of my aunts, who are engineers themselves. I chose the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) because of its strong engineering reputation and low student-to-faculty ratio, allowing meaningful connections with professors. I’m pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, focusing on structural engineering, and I plan to graduate in May 2026. During my senior year, I will begin a dual enrollment in MSOE’s graduate program to earn my master’s degree by May 2027.
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Scholarship Recipient: Kayla Knudtson
My name is Kayla Knudtson, and I am a senior at UW-Milwaukee majoring in electrical engineering. From a young age, I was in love with science and math, but was unsure of how to apply these passions to a career path. In my freshman year of high school, I took an engineering course, fell in love, and knew I wanted to be an engineer. Through my AP Physics course, I found my passion for solving and creating circuits, which helped me decide specifically on electrical engineering. Along with my love of STEM, I am also an avid environmental and animal lover. From the age of 13, I have been a Racine Zoo volunteer, totaling over 1,000 hours, educating the public and children about wildlife and wild places. With my electrical engineering experience, I plan to work within the renewable energy industry to make a difference in the world around me, combining my love of STEM and the environment into one. After I graduate with my bachelor’s, I plan to continue with my master’s, focusing on renewable energy research. The renewable field is growing rapidly, and I hope to be a part of the change.