With their white coats on, 130 students from seventh to eleventh grade, from public and private schools, graduated this Saturday as scientific leaders upon completing the programs Seeds of Triumph and For Girls in Science L’Oréal Caribefrom the non-profit organization Science Puerto Ricowhich empower young women to explore careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM, in English).
The graduation ceremonies recognized the girls’ science outreach projects, which included podcasts, robotics work, scientific experiments and others, as the final part of a curriculum that trained them for a year in leadership skills, biomanufacturing, computer science, technological skills and exposure to STEM careers through multiple mentors.
The events, held at the San Juan University Collegewere divided into a first hybrid ceremony of Semillas de Triunfo, with 11 girls connected through a video call and 95 in person; and a second celebration of For Girls in Science, with 24 graduates.
The new leaders and ambassadors in STEM celebrated their achievement with emotion by sharing their aspirations and recognizing the impact of the programs on their academic development.
With our eyes set on space, Jeralyz López Reyes15 years old and a graduate of Semillas de Triunfo, said that she longs to be an astronaut and the initiative allowed her to share her podcast project about stories of professional women with other young women.
“Graduating is very important because it means that I was able to complete my project and it means that many young women like me also have the opportunity to receive this program”said López Reyes.
Antonella Pervil Caligari12 years old and belonging to the same program, said, meanwhile, that she wrote a book, at the age of 8, about stories to take care of planet Earth and now, as a STEM ambassador, she launched her YouTube channel to interview scientists.
“Not only do I teach other children, but I also learn myself about the topics in my book and about the (scientists) I am interviewing,” said the young woman, who also urged that more girls learn about science and look for mentors to help them turn their ideas into reality.
On the other hand, Natalia Roman Pesante15 years old and a graduate of For Girls in Science, indicated that this achievement brought her closer to her dream of becoming a neurologist by having developed an academic plan and being inspired by other women who have achieved it.
“For me, it has also been super inspiring to be able to see other girls and women who have had the same circumstances as me and who have managed to go to super prestigious universities, as I would like to do too”said Román Pesante.
After graduation, Semillas de Triunfo maintains communication with the young women to continue their academic and professional trajectories in STEM careers, according to the project manager, Liz Hernandez Matias.
“All this does not stop here, we continue working, we continue investigating where they are, if they have continued with their STEM ambassador project”stated Hernández Matías.
In the case of For Girls in Science by L’Oréal Caribe, Rebecca Torres Riveraspokesperson for the project, highlighted that graduation represents that girls “can dream big” while science becomes more accessible to communities.
“It is a privilege to really be able to insert ourselves into the conversation and be able to mentor these girls from the beginning, from the moment they are thinking about what they want to do with their careers”said Torres Rivera.
The Semillas de Triunfo events included the participation of Deborah Martorellgodmother of the 2025-2026 program, while For Girls in Science received Marietta Vazquez Gomezprofessor at Yale School of Medicine; both addressed the students with words of inspiration.