Given the unique circumstances of this year, it was more important than ever for Open Rivers to be active in our goal to support students. The Open Rivers Scholarship was founded in 2017 to encourage and support women in STEM fields, and has provided scholarships to 8 remarkable women featured on our newly relaunched scholarship page.  We recently caught up with two of this year’s scholarship recipients, Danielle DaSilva and Sophia Chiaia, to learn about their goals in college, what they’re passionate about, and how the pandemic and subsequent response has influenced their plans. 

I had the chance to catch up with Jill Rodgers, pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering, one of the first recipients of the Open Rivers scholarship, during a video call. She had abruptly returned from her study-abroad in France due to Covid.

I had the chance to sit down with one of the first recipients of the Open Rivers Scholarship, Jill Rodgers. We explore her passions, motivation and why STEM is important to her.

Providing opportunities and support to the next generation allows us to invest in the future and to remember the people who provided those opportunities for us in the past. In 2017, we established the Open Rivers Scholarship at my alma mater, Bethel High School.