Growing up with two educators who have STEM backgrounds meant that curiosity was part of daily life for Stony Brook University student Lillian Best ’28, biomedical engineering.
“Asking questions, exploring how things worked, and having those conversations encouraged me to think more deeply about the world around me,” said Best. “Once I started learning science in primary school, that curiosity only grew.”
In January, Best had a unique opportunity to pay it forward, hosting an informational session on educational and career pathways in STEM/STEAM for the Form 3 (Grade 9) students at St. Joseph’s Convent St. George (SJCSG), her former secondary school in her native Grenada. Drawing on her personal journey, research insights and her experiences as an engineering student at Stony Brook University, Best created a comprehensive presentation designed to introduce students to the breadth of opportunities within STEM.
“I specifically chose to speak with Form 3 students because, in Grenada, that’s the year when subject specializations are selected,” said Best. “These choices often shape future academic and career trajectories. I was also inspired by my experience at the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers’ (SHPE) Pre-College Day in November. Seeing how powerful it was to expose young minds to the possibilities within my field motivated me to bring a similar experience back home.”
The first part of Best’s presentation explored the many educational and professional routes available in STEAM.
“I connected different career examples to interests students already have, like computers and gaming, hands-on building, leadership and more,” she said. “Throughout, I encouraged questions and discussion so students could voice their curiosities and ideas.”
The second part focused on Best’s own path in STEM and what led her to biomedical engineering.
“To make the experience more tangible, I demonstrated a myoelectric claw as an example of engineering and biosignal applications,” she said. “This was the moment the room lit up. The students were fascinated by watching the claw respond to their muscle signals and eager to understand how the interface captured and translated those signals.”
School workers were both appreciative of and impressed by Best’s effort.
“The session on women in STEM was quite a success,” said Olivia Antoine, a science teacher at the school. “The students enjoyed it thoroughly and even showed interest in having another session of a similar nature. I think it renewed interest in science and engineering among many of the girls and gave them a greater perspective on what the field has to offer. Some of them have even decided to pick a career in science because of this presentation. The timing could not have been better as they are quickly approaching the period in which they choose their Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) subjects.”
“The event hosted by Lillian at SJCSG was nothing short of educational and informative,” added Samuel Williams, a volunteer at the school. “Her presentation included discussing the various career paths available for students in STEAM and even detailed her journey as she transitioned from secondary school to Stony Brook, which I believe is extremely useful for the students, as well as serve as an inspiration for them to show that they can also be in the field of STEAM in the future. Moreover, the interactive session she had with them was very fun, and it was obvious that the students were excited to see one of the many ways that her degree can be applied in the real world to help others.”
“It is amazing to see that Lillian took the initiative to organize this STEAM event for her alma mater in Grenada,” said Mei Lin (Ete) Chan, assistant professor of practice, Department of Biomedical Engineering. “It provided them with an early exposure to information about a variety of possible STEM career pathways at a critical time of their career development. Lillian has been an active BME research member in our VIP BEAR team and also a passionate volunteer for our local community outreach events such as Pre-College Day. It was a pleasure for Jessica Kuhn (BME undergraduate program coordinator) and me to work with her in preparation for this event. We are looking forward to seeing the impact she will make going forward.”
For Best, the event was a meaningful opportunity to expand students’ awareness of what’s possible.
“Form 3 was the age when I first imagined myself becoming a biomedical engineer, and when I truly deepened my love for STEM itself, so it felt important to pay that forward,” she said. “This experience was incredibly meaningful. During the event, and especially in the conversations that followed, I could sense a genuine spark of curiosity in STEM that hadn’t been as visible before. Seeing that shift was deeply rewarding. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to empower these young girls and help them imagine themselves pursuing a wide range of STEM pathways in the future.”
— Robert Emproto
Congratulations, Lillian. I remember you as a very assiduous and devoted student in my Caribbean Immigration class.
Way to go.
Georges E. Fouron
Congratulations, Lillian!
Great job, fellow Grenadian – Proud of you!!