'Passionate About Ensuring STEM Opportunities' For All: Poway Hero

POWAY, CA — When times are tough, heroes emerge. We all know someone who's making a difference right now as we live through unprecedented and changing times.

Here at Patch, we've launched an initiative to help recognize these heroes making a difference in their communities. We're working to let all your neighbors know about these outstanding people and their stories.

This submission comes from Justina Sanchez who nominated Madalyn Nguyen of Poway.

Local hero's full name

Madalyn Nguyen

Local hero's home state

California

Local hero's Patch

Poway

How do you know the local hero?

She is my mentee.

What does the local hero do?

STEM Advocate

Why do you believe the local hero should be recognized or honored?

Madalyn Nguyen is a Gold Award Girl Scout, Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Global Innovator, FIRST Dean's List Award Winner, change-maker and trailblazer. As a four-time recipient of the President's Volunteer Service Gold Award volunteering 200 hours of community outreach annually since 2016, Madalyn is a passionate FIRST Robotics mentor/volunteer, a FLL robot judge, and role model speaker/panelist at many events. She has mentored over 20 FIRST Robotics teams globally and started numerous robotics and SWENext Clubs.

Since 2017, she brought STEM opportunities to autistic kids by volunteering monthly with INCLUDE Autism & Autism Resource and Treatment Center. She helped start a FIRST Lego League Robotics program at the Title 1 Wilson Middle School at the disadvantaged community of City Heights by mentoring and procuring over $2,000 funding since 2018. Wilson Robotics is thriving going into its fifth season with its first female president last year.

The seeds Madalyn sowed in 2018 are still flourishing as more underserved and underrepresented youths continue to enjoy STEM opportunities from the robotics program she helped start.

Madalyn created a legacy at this Title 1 school that will continue to impact hundreds and thousands of future underserved and underrepresented students. She is a remarkable teenager that exemplifies what a huge impact adolescents can make on others' lives as she embraces being a role model for others.

What's one thing you want everyone to know about the local hero?

She is passionate about ensuring STEM opportunities exist for all.

Thank you for all you do, Madalyn Nguyen!

This content is brought to our community in partnership with T-Mobile.

Know someone making a difference in town?

Nominate them here.