Empowering the Next Generation: Exelon STEM Academy Alumni Return as Full-Time Employees
Industry
Each year, the Exelon Foundation invites female high school juniors and seniors to a week-long STEM Academy that offers hands-on experience in STEM, energy and sustainability. Asata Mander and Danielle Thompson joined the STEM Academy in high school, and through the opportunity, developed their passion for pursuing a career in the STEM field.
What they did not know was how the STEM Academy would impact their college experience and their career journey. In 2021, The Exelon Foundation launched a STEM Scholarship, later named in memorial of the late-Chris Crane. The Chris Crane Memorial Scholarship program is for Academy alums and supports young women throughout their higher-education journey. Danielle and Asata were part of the first cohort of scholars. The four-year, full-ride scholarship, in addition to covering all tuition and expenses, also provides mentorship and summer internship opportunities with Exelon and its operating companies.
Danielle and Asata would go on to participate in internships and mentorships with Exelon during their summers, while staying connected to the program that first introduced them to Exelon. They both graduated in 2025 from college and earned undergraduate degrees with a STEM focus. Now, they have landed dream jobs at Exelon with its operating company Pepco, where they continue to pour back into the STEM Academy to inspire the next generation of students.
When asked what drove her to return to Exelon, Asata said, “I could have gone somewhere, but not everyone also invested in who I was.”
The Academies continue to open doors to a wide array of STEM and energy career paths that Exelon offers, ranging from cutting-edge engineering roles to critical cybersecurity opportunities. For high school students interested in energy, sustainability and STEM fields, we encourage those in the Atlantic City Electric, BGE, ComEd, Delmarva Power, PECO and Pepco service areas to learn more by visiting the website here.