OUR FOUNDERS
oSTEM at UCF was founded in January 2020, after 5 students formed the organization in November 2019.
SEAN QUINLAN
President
oSTEM has changed my life. Being gay has not always been a comfortable thing for me whether dealing with friends, family, peers and fellow classmates, professors or coworkers. I always wondered what fellow professors thought of me for being gay and an engineer. I thought they would think "this isn't for him".
Since founding oSTEM, not only have I connected with fellow LGBTQ+ people within my major, I have also connected with students and staff throughout STEM. Creating oSTEM has also pushed me to start implementing oSTEM qualities within the company I work for!
oSTEM has helped me understand who I am and where I need to go. It has help hone my leadership and interpersonal skills, as well as my desire to create a safe, inviting space for others to grow. That's what oSTEM means to me.
ANGIE LAZO
Vice President
oSTEM to me means creating a unique environment where underrepresented individuals can network both professionally and personally. The process of creating this organization and seeing its value has pushed me to work every day towards creating a more inclusive and diverse workforce.
I wanted to create an organization like this since attending a conference called Out for Undergrad back in 2017, and I feel very grateful to have found a group of hardworking individuals that are helping me finally get this club up and running. I hope that oSTEM continues to grow and create a space for LGBTQ+ students in STEM to feel safe, confident in their potential, and accepted for being their authentic selves.
ANDREW GLISSON
Secretary
I am a computer engineering major, graduating in the summer of 2020. Focusing on cybersecurity, looking for employment with government or government contractors.
I wanted to start oSTEM at UCF because I felt alone when coming to UCF, especially in engineering. The gay part of me did not feel accepted. I wanted to establish a professional and respect LGBTQ+ group that welcomes those who feel estranged.
REILLY DEARTH
Treasurer
I helped create oSTEM at UCF because I believe UCF had a need for a welcoming environment for LGBTQ students pursuing STEM degrees.
I’m a senior Industrial Engineering student. I am also involved in the Burnett Honors College and work as a CWEP intern for Lockheed Martin. Other interests include politics, going to concerts, and the automotive industry.
DANIEL CELLA
Publicity Coordinator
I found connecting with other LGBTQ+ people in STEM to be a difficult feat because, in my experience, nobody really discussed anything related to their sexual orientation or identity. Studying Electrical Engineering, there was more talk about the tears shed trying to comprehend physics and circuitry!
I am so grateful to have found such amazing, hardworking people to start up this chapter. oSTEM provides the opportunity to meet supportive faculty and employers for making professional connections AND it provides a safe space for students to find other fellow STEM majors in the community they would not have been able to meet prior. My hope is that this club continues to be run by passionate students for years to come.