Fostering a young person's interest is very important for their personal growth and development. I believe it is especially true for young people in interested in science. More often than not, urban kids don't like science and don't usually wax poetic about science lessons.
So, when I came across the story of a Miss Lakisa McPike - a teenager from inner-city St. Louis, who loved science as a kid and how it shaped her career choices brought a smile to my face. Her mother helped cultivate her interest in science since she was young by buying her science books and kits beyond that of her school curriculum. Later she participated in an after-school program called Youth Exploring Science or YES! The program provides lots of great hands-on learning activities that allow youth to explore science topics and careers in depth.
When it was time for deciding on whatmajor in college Lakisa chose biology...and graduated magna cum laude. She will be atttending graduate school this fall and majoring in medical sciences. Read more about Lakisa here.