SBU Students Explore New Opportunities and Meaningful Takeaways at BEYA Conference

Stony Brook University students recently had the opportunity to attend the prestigious Becoming Everything You Are (BEYA)Conference in Baltimore, Maryland.

A total of 40 students, many of whom are members of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and other organizations, traveled to the event to participate in a range of professional development activities designed to foster networking, mentorship, and career advancement in engineering and technology.

Participation in the three-day BEYA Conference was made possible through the Career Center, which designated Simone Binneman, a tech and engineering career coach, as the SBU campus coordinator for BEYA. Having a registered coordinator allowed 40 students to qualify for an All-Access Conference pass. Additionally, students benefited from the mentorship and guidance of Stony Brook alum Madeline Augustin, an employee at Boeing. Last year, only fourteen students attended the conference, with this support increasing attendance.

The Career Communications Group, the organization responsible for hosting BEYA, generously covered hotel accommodations and registration costs, which ensured that students were able to fully immerse themselves in the experience without financial concerns. Additional financial support and transportation costs were provided by the Career Center and Judith Brown-Clarke, vice president for equity and inclusion, chief health equity officer and chief diversity officer for Stony Brook University and the Health System. Without the funding for transportation, students would not be eligible for the hotel accommodations or waived registration fees, therefore they could not attend.

The conference began with "An Evening with BEYA's Leading Voices" session, which addressed diversity, equity, and inclusion within the STEM industries. Throughout the event, students had the opportunity to engage with recruiters and industry professionals at a highly interactive two-day career fair.

Beyond the career fair, students participated in networking suites where leading companies provided mentorship and insight into career pathways. A particularly impactful session, "Men2Men: My Brother's Keeper," had open discussions among male students about workplace responsibilities and the evolving expectations for male professionals in engineering. Professional engineers in this session praised Stony Brook students for articulating their feelings and opinions about being a man in the engineering space, commending them for being the most vocal in expressing their perspectives.

Many students reflected on the significant impact that BEYA had on their confidence, professional development, and networking skills.

First-year student Samuel Camulaire noted, "BEYA is pretty much a world of opportunity for really any major. It's especially for Black STEM students, but the panelist sessions helped me understand the value of my resume, which contained a great deal of non-STEM-related skills. I was able to network a ton and felt like I made genuine connections that will last beyond the conference. I gained such a boost in my confidence when relaying who I am, and I would definitely recommend it for those who are a bit shy like myself."

Angel Matos-De Los Santos emphasized the unique aspects of the conference, stating, "I truly believe that BEYA is unlike any other conference. It doesn't only give students the ability to speak to a plethora of companies, but it also allows students to network with several industry leaders outside of the career fair. While other conferences are catered towards networking with companies, this one is about networking with people on a more personal level."

Pushkar Taday highlighted the advantages of BEYA compared to larger conferences, saying, "It's a smaller conference than big events like NSBE or SHPE, which might mean fewer exhibitors, but it allows for better engagement since there are fewer students. The career fair and networking events were game-changers in terms of personal and professional growth."

Augustin, who has been a strong advocate for Stony Brook students at BEYA, took the time to personally engage with each attendee to ensure they had a meaningful experience. As a respected alum, she reinforced the importance of networking in STEM fields and left students with encouragement and inspiring words.

After the conference, several students secured on-the-spot interviews at BEYA or made important career advancements. Julio Martinez was able to secure a summer internship at Northrop Grumman after the conference, and Abdel Sanogo shared his success story on LinkedIn, attributing their new opportunities to the connections they made at BEYA.

- Mckenzie Post

The Career Center would like to thank the attending exhibitors:

• AAMU-RISE Foundation Inc.
• Abbott
• Accenture Federal Services
• Advancing Minorities' Interest in Engineering (AMIE)
• Alpha Kappa Alpha
• Amazon
• Amentum
• American Society of Naval Engineers
• Applied Research Laboratory at Penn State
• B360
• BDPA
• Black in Marine Science
• Blacks in Technology
• Booz Allen Hamilton
• Boston Scientific
• CACI International Inc
• Capitol Technology University
• Cindy J Cosmetic Lab, LLC
• City of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering
• DAPCEP
• Dent Education
• Diamondback Energy
• Dominion Energy
• Ernst & Young
• Exelon Corporation
• General Dynamics
• Google
• HBCU Chips Network
• HII
• Human AugmentatioN via Dexterity
• IBM
• ICF
• Idaho National Laboratory
• Institute for Defense Analyses
• Jefferson Lab
• Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab
• KBR
• KLA
• Leidos
• Lockheed Martin
• Lumena Energy
• Medtronic
• Missile Defense Agency
• MITRE
• Monneah's Engineered Materials, LLC
• NasaClip
• National Aquarium
• National Technical Association
• Northrop Grumman
• NPower
• Nucor Corporation
• NuPaths
• Omega Psi Phi
• Phi Beta Sigma
• RB&L1
• RTX
• SAIC
• Sandia National Laboratories
• Snap-on Incorporated
• Southwest Airlines
• STEM City USA
• The Aerospace Corporation
• The Afro
• The Columbia Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
• Tri-County (MD) Alumnae Chapter (TCMDAC) of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
• UL
• Urban GIS, Inc.
• Verisk
• Verizon
• What the Sprout?
• World Wide Technology