Chandra Harvey is CEO and co-founder of ESTEAAM, a former National Society of Black Engineers Jr. Club. She shares about industry, internships, working with learning difficulties, grant writing, and more.
Find out more about Chandra Harvey's nonprofit efforts at http://esteaam.org
Some other information and resources she shared can be found on the following websites:
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Shenandoa Toote Copyright 2019, Science Sisters
Shenandoa: Why are you qualified to speak about STEM?
Chandra: Well I'm qualified to speak about STEM because of a few reasons. Number one I have spent over 13 years in the pharmaceutical industries. Being a scientist and recently I reinvented myself and became a STEM teacher. And it was pretty much by accident that I became a STEM teacher. And I was pretty much asked to do it. And I taught in Baltimore City for five years. And working with those kids in Baltimore I definitely learned that they seem to not have a way out outside of maybe the NFL or you know going into baseball or something like that and I wanted to give these kids something, a viable career where they didn't have to feel like they had to go into the NFL. So I started a nonprofit called ESTEAAM Incorporated and ESTEAAM stands for Environmental Science Technology Engineering Art Athletics and Mathematics. The reason why incorporated the arts in athletics is because I wanted to get these kids from the city involved in STEM through athletics and into a art. [cough]Sorry, I have a cold.
Shenandoa: Oh! Thanks for being here.
Chandra: No problem. And so the kids... I could kind of lure the kids in through arts and athletics and then get them to understand STEM. And we've been extremely successful in the city, having a group of kids from one particular school to become student led, to have their own projects that they decided that they wanted to do. For example, they re-did something in the park. They decided to take control of their part in the neighborhood and revitalize their park.
I was able to help them get a grant. That was their idea. They conducted the interview for the grant day. They also did an onsite interview for the grant and the people were so shocked that I had middle school kids from the city interested in doing this, that they gave the kids the money and we were able to do a few things in the park. So the kids have just been phenomenal. I think that is what makes me qualified to actually to talk about STEM.
And also I'm currently developing the STEM curriculum for the Y in central Maryland in Harper County. I'm currently working on an oceanography unit, and we are now implementing that oceanography unit. And so even though it's a different population of kids, I'm still working around the STEM area.
Shenandoa: So when I look into what you sent over, what has been your biggest challenge? I guess that would be inspirational to people. Could you tell me something more about that?
Chandra: Yes absolutely. So I was diagnosed with a learning disability when I was in college. What happened-- What technically happened was I was in an engineering program. I was actually a mechanical engineering student. And I kept failing my exams. And I studied hard. I knew the information but couldn't really produce it an on an exam. And it kept happening. So they had me tested - the engineering department. I was through RISE, the RISE program: Resources to Inspire Successful Engineers, a minority program at University of Delaware. And they tested me and said I had ADD and I was like "I don't know what you talking about. I pay attention." They're like "No, you need to read this. Just read it and take it in."
That's when I discovered I had this learning disability. So I said "wow, I actually do have...wow, this is... okay this has been my problem for years and nobody discovered it. I don't get it!" I was like "Wow!" So eventually I had to move on from University of Delaware because I pretty much flunked out, because of my learning disability. I just couldn't produce anything on an exam. So the doctor suggested I need a smaller environment. So I went to Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, a small Historically Black College, and I succeeded there.
But then I ran into more issues towards the end of my career, towards the end of my college career. So it got to a point in which my professors knew that there was an issue. They were cool with me until they found out that I had this learning disability and then it caused me a major issue to not even graduate from college. I will tell you, two days before graduation I got called into an office and was told, "You know what? You talk a good game but you can't back it up.” Those were the exact words. I was told that I wasn't going to be able to walk, just because I had a learning disability even though I had a 3.2 GPA, even though I was graduating with honors, and I had passed all my courses, and I had mainly A's and B's in all the courses. But because they felt like, they felt like I was such a case because I always needed help.
And one of my professors stepped up and said "You know what? Let her go; because she's earned her grades. Even though she's had extra test taking time. Yes, she's had these challenges with the learning disability. But she's earned everything. Let her go." And they allowed me to walk.
Shenandoa: Wow!
Chandra: And you know, I was shocked because of the fact that I was at this small university, and I was hoping that people would try to be nurturing towards me and they really weren't when it came down to my learning disability. Only one professor was. He helped me to get a tutor because I was failing some of my classes, because I was taking too much. I was taking Physics. I was taking Calculus II, and I was taking Organic II at the same time. They felt like it was too much, that's probably what the unmasking of my learning disability came back-because the coursework was so dense at the time. The doctors got involved again. They put me on...I was taking Adderall at that point. No, not Adderall. I was taking...there was another drug they had. Adderall came later because it was too early for Adderall. They hadn't even discovered it at that point.
Shenandoa: Dexedrine.
Chandra: Dexedrine. Yes, I was on Dexedrine. So I was on a medication. It helped me to focus. And the teacher saw a difference in me once I did start taking the medication, and I started performing well. I went from D status from my physics class to a B along with the tutoring. So as I say as I got tutored and stuff. Like I said I started doing better once I received the tutoring, but thanks to one of my professors he actually got me the tutor, and my parents were able to pay for a private tutor for me. And that's what pretty much got me through school.
So you know I used to stay up all night long. I also have, later I found out, I also have dyslexia. And the dyslexia functions in a way in which I misinterpret information. So that's the reason why I wasn't performing well test, was because of the way I interpret words and the way I decode the decoding issue where I can't decode words very well and so I pretty much have an opposite meaning in my head. It's not that I read things backwards. I actually process things differently.
So and that led me to actually not be able to get a master's degree. So I haven't been able to go any further than bachelors because of my learning disability. But despite that, I worked for some of the top 10 corporations in the business! I've worked for Johnson and Johnson. I worked for Pfizer. (It was Wyeth at the time, but now it's Pfizer.) I've worked for Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics. I was able to work for some of the top...Merck! I worked at Merck, too. So I've been able to work at some of the major pharmaceutical companies despite me having this learning disability. So when I come into the classroom, and I talk to the kids I tell them my story. Because in industry, I'm not able to tell it because in an industry I have to hide that I have a learning disability, because they don't...they can't respect that.
But I can go into a classroom and tell these kids that you can be anything that you want to be! And in fact I have a song that I play for the kids. And we have a draw scientist’s test that I usually do with the kids when I was with the byelaws program and I had them the draw what the science was and I would tell my story and I and I played the song. ‘I know I can be what I `````````````````want to be.’ And by now and the kids sit there and bop their head and they listen to and I'm like. Despite what anybody tells you? Look at me as an example. You can do science. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to do this. You have to do is be determined and be passionate about whatever you're passionate about and you can do it. Don't and don't ever let anybody tell you no. You know there might be you might have to go about things a different way but it’s okay you know, it might take you longer. It's fine. It's okay if it takes you longer. But don't give up on the side of your goal because you feel like you don't have it. You're not economically set or that because of the fact you might have a learning disability, any type of thing that that's an obstacle for you don't let that stop you.
Shenandoa: Perfect talking about obstacles. What I'd like for you to talk about next is the experience you’ve learned the most from.
Chandra: I pretty much learned the most from the challenges I’ve had recently. I was laid off of my job seven years ago and it was and I mean when I got laid off I lost everything I lost my house, I lost my career and I and I literally had nothing left after my career. After I left the house I had just and I got married at that point and I felt like that was my only like really. This was it for me like that all I have to do is just being somebody's wife or be a housewife and I can't even have my career back. The biggest thing I had to overcome was trying to figure out how to reinvent myself to become valuable in the world again. So when I reinvented myself I found out that teaching was the most valuable thing.
When I went into Baltimore City and I talked to the school district they said look we don't even care if you don't have the education degree, you have industry experience. These kids are not used to seeing someone who looks like you come into their classroom and teach them. We need that you are welcome here. And for me to feel like I'm now valued I have 13 children on speed dial. And if I don't talk to them within a certain period of time I have parents contact me. I have kids that will text me and call me Harvey. Are you Okay? We just want to know that you're fine because these kids look up to me and I can't tell you how much it's meant for me to feel that. Considering that I feel like I'm now not now my experience is no undervalued because they feel like I have them. I've been out of industry for too long and I'm not and I really can't even get back into it anymore. So I'd say that was my greatest challenge and to try to let that go. That's probably a hard thing for me still is that it's hard for me to kind of let it go that this has happened in this in seven years.
And to still continue to move on from it and to be successful so that I would say that's kind of a challenge right now. Me Is You know exactly where what is my place you know in this industry that no longer seems to want to accept me outside of me working with the kids. What else can I contribute to the industry? So I feel like the best way for me to do that is working with the kids. And if by you know I got into environmental education so now I teach nonprofit about grant writing and talking to people about best management practices and the environment and trying to get H.O. A's homeowners associations and independent civic associations and faith based groups to understand about pollution and the environment.
And I feel like I'm really making some headway there. So you know so if it was really about reinventing me to figure out my place in an industry and since then I entered into a specific grant Program which was offered by the department of labor. And it's a unique opportunity for people who've lost their jobs to get back in the industry whether it's an I.T. or in the biocides it's not that in the biocides. So now I'm taking a clinical management class a clinical yet the clinical management class clinical trial management class where I can get the certification so that I can go back into industry and learn how to how the drug process or how drugs actually go through the IND process. And I could be potentially you know helping companies manage their clinical trials. So that has been a really good opportunity and I'm looking forward to seeing how this class turns out and see if I can actually get back in the door. So we'll see how that turns out.
Shenandoa: So it's nearing the top of the hour. Just wanted to let you know to make sure if you have to go or if we have more time to continue
Chandra: I have as much time as you need. So I'm good whenever I'm on your schedule.
Shenandoa: So let me just say with your permission deviate a little bit from the script because you knew with your experience being in industry I think it would be really helpful if you kind of define what industry is? I feel like a lot of emphasis with science and academia. So people are aware that you can become Professor or teacher. But then what are the other options are and not as well published or promoted so you can talk about that.
Chandra: So you know being in industry is very different from academia. And one of the things that I see an issue with is that a lot of youth that are coming from colleges and universities are not well versed about the benefits of industry. They don't even get talked to about industry. They're always told just get a Ph.D. Oh this gets a master's degree. They don't understand that these companies can help you to get your master's degree. They don’t understand that if you intern with a corporation starting from your freshman year that these corporations can take you in, and they can give you a job, they can help you to get a master's degree. You might have to reimburse them. They don't usually do a reimbursement program. But still you won't get paid money to the worker job. And also we see your master's degree and when you get it now you get reimbursed money but then you often move up the ladder.
So a lot of people and I really don't blame the students because the students don't know. A lot of it has to do with professors because a lot of them don't know anything out but just being a professor and so I feel like it's our job as industry people to come out in different organizations and help the people that help the young adult in college and explain to them that these are some of your options and you have to start as early as possible. So what I even tell my kids is that I teach in middle school.
I want them the shadow now starting middle school I try to find places for them to go every summer whether that's a shadowing opportunity whether that means they might get paid or something. And I understand that you know in college we're all looking to get paid in college. Now also I was a college student that wanted to get paid. And there are programs through different universities that opt to offer things for example I was a part of a program called MBRS. MBR stands for Minority Biomedical Research. And what you had to have a 3.0 or better to be in the program. And what we did was some of us would go to NIH for the summer. It was an NIH grant program and it's specifically for minority students a lot of you don't know about it. That is mainly known about it at historically black colleges. So that's how I was able to get involved MBRS.
But it gave me an opportunity to do research with either federal organizations anything on the federal level or anything in industry. You're always going to go by what they call FDA dogma. So everything is regulated by the FDA. Now unlike academia they don't go by the FDA guidelines. So the biggest thing that I see that there's a lot of the young adult need is they need to learn how to write GLT what we call GLT GMP style which stands for Good Laboratory Practices and Good Manufacturing Practices and that just means that you're writing in a way that the FDA would require you would go through a quality assurance department QA quality assurance.
So that you have to write up all your information and there's all kinds of it. Each company has their own guidelines that they have in place depending upon the standard operating procedure. The FOP is as we call them you know that at the corporation they have that and they tend to have a document but it makes them but when I came out of college it would get into a point in which I was trying to get in the industry. It was hard to get in the industry because they expected you to have this on your resume you know and if you didn't write in that style they saw that you didn't know anything about GOP GMP. They weren't trying to take so. And that is that that's why I look like as a very critical thing for young adults.
But I think the big thing is number one if we can reach that all the industry people can reach the college students and let them know about these opportunities talk to their professors. Because I've actually gone back to my university said look you need to start talking to the kids about more options. I actually yelled at my professors. I'll give you an example. I was on an interview at Weir at the time now it’s Pfizer.
And they said to me we come to Johnson C. Smith and recruit for students for our internship program. Why do you think that we don't get any students because they don't know about it? And I'm white because my professors sit there and preach about going to grad school instead of talking about other options and I didn't get the job. And I started to wonder if I didn't get a job because of the fact that you know them they're like wow they don't even know about it. So I went back and yelled at my professor as I said you know you guys embarrass me during the interview. And I didn't get the job because you know and so I was very embarrassed to have that kind of question.
So I try to make sure that you know all of us in the industry know that we've all experienced the same thing in my generation I'm part of Generation X. So you know I want to make sure that that the next generation doesn't have the issues. So I spent a lot of time mentoring a lot of youth from college and try to get them understand it starts now. You know these internships starts now don’t start in junior year don't start the senior year. It's starting now. You need one in your freshman year. And so I help kids with applications or help you a letter of recommendation or even find placements for them to go. So that's what I do now
Shenandoa: So someone who picks up the book in a library a different state. They don't have access to you. Where would you encourage them to go to find out more about what kind of industry options there are how to get into shadowing program or internship what sources of research would you recommend?
Chandra: Well I would recommend for them to go to, there are actually job sites at your universities and if you go to the job placement center they have like little job placement centers or are you know people you can talk to. I went to USC Chapel Hill at one point and I went into the office and they actually had a database of different corporations. And I was able to apply to the corporations that I got in Johnson and Johnson. The people of Johnson and Johnson saw I was coming from USC Chapel Hill and it just so happened that the hiring manager was a graduate. And that's why he wanted me there and he hired me and I stayed there for six months.
And so I went beyond my internship with them to the point at which they wanted to hire me. But then they didn't have unfortunately they were laying off so they couldn't hire me. But they were willing for me to stay there until I got a job. So you can have opportunities like that. So I would say going into the job placement center on campus they do have places where you can actually talk to people and help you with those kinds of things. The other thing is just kind of looking online you can look up you know some of the top pharmaceutical companies or you know just looking up on any biotech companies that are in the area and going to the company Web sites to see if they have an internship program.
Now that's more of a convoluted way unfortunately and it's easier if you have someone who knows you know, but what if just putting some ideas out there for people and also looking at NIH looking going to the government Web site. I know of a lady for example a USDA she is. She is a plant expert a black female plant expert at the USDA and she takes interns and I've been trying to work with her in Beltsville. So she looks for people every year. I know some people at the EPA. So again you know the EPA or any government agency you can look on their Web site they and age is really great because they do take interns every summer and I and they also have a post baccalaureate program. So even if you finish your bachelor's degree you can go into NIH as opposed to baccalaureate and you can still do research there.
A lot of people don't know about that too. So I would say government Web site definitely look at all the major agencies EPA NIH and FDA to the FDA will also do it. CDC is another good place. And then also just looking at different corporations that are within your state and looking at different pharma or biotech anything along that line. And go to their website see if you can connect with people, networking events. See if your college university has a networking event with other associations or some other associations with the American Chemical Society you want to for minorities. National Society of Black Engineers I served on their board for four years and that's what I did and also No você National Organization of Black chemists and chemical engineers.
We also help youth trying to find things too. So reaching out to them and becoming familiar with these organizations and finding out if they had any type of meeting that young adults can meet and network with people. So a lot of networking events too so you can even look online they have a lot of this meet up groups.
If there is a meet up group for professional in your area so you can meet some professionals and maybe they can help you to find things
Shenandoa: I love it those are wonderful. So let’s just end this session today with your biggest success tell me more about that.
Chandra: My biggest success. So my biggest success to date was that I was instrumental in making a breakthrough in cancer research as a college intern. Though there was a particular experiment I was working at Thomas Jefferson University and Philly Philadelphia. And at the bluntly life-size center and I was working under Dr. Eric Wickstrom who is still you know to me a great mentor. And so they asked me to do this coupling reaction. You know that they knew could possibly know how to stop the proliferation of cancer cells. So I was able to I did this reaction one day and the scientists came over and said wait a minute like can you redo this. If you're able to get the same result like this is a big deal.
And I'm like oh my god. I'm like okay. So I was able to reproduce that coupling reaction and get the same result. And as a result they were able to, the lab was able to go to New Delhi India and they presented the research. They presented the coupling reaction you know at conference and they received the grant awards because this was like a major breakthrough. And then I was able to come back that following summer as an intern. I was there my junior year and so in my senior year college like we want you to come back because of what you might say hey that's great you know. So I'm guaranteed a summer job. So that was cool. So that's how I was able you know that was my biggest success. I'd say you know in industry was that breakthrough.
Shenandoa: That’s fantastic, exciting right.
Chandra: It was and you know it wasn't a cure for cancer setting but you know at least you know I was able to make some kind of contribution and I can actually tell that to students. Now it's like yeah I'll be able to make some kind of contribution. You know what. You know. So yeah I was very excited about that.
Shenandoa: I love what you are doing in this space and how you're making an impact on the next generation. So I just want to thank you for your contribution not just in the lab but outside of it and also again thank you for your time today. It's been a real pleasure speaking to you.
Chandra: Thank you and it's been a real pleasure speaking with you. And thank you again for this opportunity. I was so excited when you told me about this.