On December 7, FOSSI scholar and Howard University sophomore, Karis Lewis, was invited to join Dow, her FOSSI corporate sponsor, at the annual 2022 CME STEM Leadership Awards Lunch in New York City.
More on the event
The event recognized leaders who are harnessing the transformative power of chemistry to advance humanity, and honored Dow Chairman & CEO, Jim Fitterling; and Air Products Chairman, President, and CEO, Seifi Ghasemi.
“Attending the event was a privilege,” said Lewis. “It was incredible to hear the remarks of featured speaker James Green from NASA, and I felt Seifi Ghasemi was speaking directly to me when he discussed inspiring the future generation of leaders who will have an impact on the world.
Karis inspired by Dow's commitment to diversity
Jim Fitterling’s remarks, which focused on fostering greater diversity in the workplace, also served as a source of inspiration for me. As a black female who has experienced being the only one in the room, I was pleased to learn that Dow is committed to fixing this inequality and making the voices of minorities in white male dominated spaces feel heard.”
Lewis said she was excited to have a chance to speak to such an accomplished group of people, and shared that a highlight was when one of them said to her, ‘I hope to see you up there one day.’
“The CME STEM event sparked a passion in me, and I am appreciative of Dow for giving me this experience.
She continued, “Being a FOSSI scholar gives me comfort because I don't have to go through college alone; I have people who will listen to me and encourage me. I am grateful to have received this scholarship, and I look forward to what the future may offer.”