Two EnCorps Fellows—STEM Professionals Who Launched Rewarding STEM Teaching Careers in Under-Resourced Communities—Received the Cash Prizes.

LOS ANGELES, CA – May 11, 2023 – EnCorps Inc, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit with a 15 year history of advocating for STEM educational equity, is proud to announce the 2023 scholarship recipients of the Bonnie Reiss Memorial Scholarship and the Arthur Housinger Memorial Scholarship to two Fellows in the EnCorps STEM Teachers Program®.  Loui Kou, Bay Area, CA EnCorps Fellow, was awarded the $3,000 Arthur Housinger Memorial Scholarship for mirroring the same spirit of friendship and community as Mr. Housinger and for her interest in teaching math and science. Ms Kou brings nearly a decade of engineering experience to the classroom and is currently enrolled in the Marshall Teacher Residency Program with a goal to teach chemistry and engineering. Emma Miller, Denver, CO EnCorps Fellow, was awarded the $5,000 Bonnie Reiss Memorial Scholarship for demonstrating courage and resilience and for her commitment to public service through teaching. Ms Miller worked in STEM for eight years in graduate lab, research and instructor positions. She is pursuing a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction and teaching science at Green Valley Ranch High School in Denver, CO.

“We are incredibly proud of EnCorps Fellows who enter the teaching profession after their successful STEM industry journey,” says Katherine Wilcox, EnCorps Executive Director. “EnCorps Fellows bring their enthusiasm for science, their belief in educational equity and their ability to link classroom theory with real-life application for the benefit of their students who may not otherwise have access to a high-quality STEM education.”

Bonnie Reiss Memorial Scholarship
Former California Secretary of Education and EnCorps Board Member Bonnie Reiss was a force for good, directing her energy, passion and intelligence to advocate for children, education, the environment and political reform. She brought out the best in people and inspired those around her with her enthusiasm. She believed profoundly in the “power of one” and that one person can make a difference with a life well lived. 

In her memory, the EnCorps Board of Directors created in 2019 the Bonnie Reiss Memorial Scholarship. The $5,000 award is given annually to an EnCorps Fellow who demonstrates outstanding courage and resilience and who is committed to public service through teaching. 

2023 Recipient: Emma Miller, EnCorps Fellow in Denver, CO

STEM Experience: Eight years in graduate lab, research and instructor positions.

Education: BS in Biology and a Masters in Genetics/Genomics from Iowa State University. Currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction at the Relay Graduate School of Education 

STEM Teaching: Green Valley Ranch High School.

Quote: “We have all experienced teachers who change our lives in some way, whether it was introducing us to a new, exciting topic or providing unconditional confidence in our abilities. For some students this makes their school day a little bit brighter, but for other students, it changes their entire trajectory.”

 

Arthur Housinger Memorial Scholarship
Established in 2020, in fond memory of EnCorps Fellow Arthur Housinger, the Arthur Housinger Memorial Scholarship ensures the continuation of Arthur’s legacy, light and dedication to STEM education and to his EnCorps Fellow community. After over two decades working in the software industry at top companies, Arthur turned his sights towards teaching in some of the most underserved schools in the Bay Area to help students achieve everything that they can and inspire excitement and joy for math and computer science.  

Arthur was known for his kindness, generosity, openness and thoughtfulness. He was a community-builder and convener among his peers, the center of many circles of friends and the organizer for most. The $3,000 Arthur Housinger Memorial Scholarship is awarded annually to a Fellow who displays the same spirit of friendship, fellowship and community among the EnCorps Fellows and who shows a particular interest in teaching math and science. 

2023 Recipient: Loui Kou, EnCorps Fellow in Bay Area, CA

STEM Experience: Nearly a decade in engineering

Education: BS in Electrical Engineering at MIT; MS in Engineering at Cal Berkeley. 

STEM Teaching: Currently a Fellow in the Marshall Teacher Residency working towards single-subject credentials in chemistry with a supplement in engineering.

Quote: “I believe in doing my part to bring about change. I believe in the strength of our next generation and I believe in the power of education.”

 

About the EnCorps STEM Teachers Program®
The EnCorps STEM Teachers Program recruits, selects and supports STEM professionals and experts in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields as well as individuals who possess an advanced STEM degree to transition to teaching as an innovative, long-term solution to the STEM teacher shortage and to counter the alarming lack of math proficiency of middle and high school students nationwide.

About EnCorps, Inc.
Founded in 2007, EnCorps Inc. is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit with operations in California as well the greater Denver, Colorado and New York City areas. EnCorps connects highly effective STEM educators with public school students to counter the systemic injustice preventing children in under-resourced communities from accessing a high-quality STEM education. The EnCorps STEM Teachers Program® recruits, selects and supports STEM professionals and experts in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields as well as individuals who possess an advanced STEM degree to transition to teaching as an innovative, long-term solution to the STEM teachers shortage and to counter the alarming lack of math proficiency of middle and high school students nationwide. The EnCorps STEMx Tutors Program matches middle school students, currently under-performing in math, with volunteer STEM professionals, subject-matter experts and STEM college students to increase math skills and confidence prior to students entering high school.

EnCorps is pronounced like the word encore. It sounds like ann-kor!