Submitted photo Leelah Bradshaw poses with Boardman High School science teacher Heather Moran, who had a part in Leelah’s recent adventure in Tennessee as part of the 2025 Appalachian STEM Academy.

BOARDMAN — Leelah Bradshaw, daughter of Yvonnia Bradshaw and Daniel Stoner and an upcoming Boardman High School junior, was among 38 students from around the northeast who attended the 2025 Appalachian STEM Academy in Tennessee last month.

The experience, which ran from July 5 through July 18, helped her gain new insight for the STEM field she plans to pursue after graduation. Leelah is in the honors biology class of Heather Moran, who said she often checks out summer programs that help students.

“There are many excellent programs available in summer for high school students,” Moran said. “However, a lot of them come with price tags that are prohibitively expensive for many families. Appalachian STEM academy is very competitive and, once students are accepted, it comes with no cost to the family. These are the types of opportunities I like to pass along to our students. This one was sent to me from Jared Cardillo, director of instruction here. I posted the information on our Google Classroom page in November. Shortly after, Leelah asked me for a letter of recommendation for the program, which I happily wrote.”

After the letter and application process, it was all Leelah. She stayed with it and did everything required to participate in the program. She was notified of her acceptance prior to the May 18 Board of Education meeting, during which the board recognized her for being accepted into the program.

The Appalachian STEM Academy is a two-week summer program that allows selected students to interact and work with scientists from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and other science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) experts. The program is sponsored by the Appalachian Regional Commission and Oak Ridge National Laboratory and takes place in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Students stayed at a hotel near the lab, where students worked on their own projects, while learning a plethora of information.

Leelah said the two-week academy was full of activities to entice and enrich a student’s passion for STEM.

“We had a very busy schedule planned out for each day,” Leelah said. “On the weekends, we did many fun activities such as the Mountain Challenge, an escape room, a baseball game, a dinner cruise, Dollywood and hiking the Smoky Mountains. During the weekdays, we would spend time with our research groups at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Each group did different activities, but my group, which was the environmental science group, mainly listened to different presentations ranging from meteorology to astrophysics and quantum mechanics.”

“We created our projects at the lab,” Leelah said. “My project was about increasing the amount of greenspace. The program does blend very well with my future goals. This experience taught me so many new things about all aspects of science and I am very grateful that I was able to learn so much.”

She said after going to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, she plans on interning there when she is a little older.

“I loved being at the lab,” she said. “It feels like the place that I want to spend most of my time when I start my career.”

The research and many other activities of the academy are incorporated into the program to promote teamwork, expose students to college opportunities, and promote pride in the cultural richness and historical importance of the Appalachian region. This program is fully funded for participants, and it is also open to middle school students and high school teachers. The Appalachian STEM Academy at Oak Ridge culminates with group presentations by students and teachers about their projects and research findings.

Jennifer Tyrell, associate manager at ORAU (Oak Ridge Associated Universities) said the students selected for the academy come from the Appalachian states.

“Through a meticulous application process, the Appalachian Regional Commission handpicks students from across the 13-state Appalachian region who demonstrate a keen interest in science, technology, engineering and math,” Tyrell said. “Our mission is to ignite a spark for STEM in these participants by providing them with unparalleled access to mentorship from distinguished scientists. We aim to fuel their passion for these critical fields, laying down the foundational stones for future careers in STEM.”

Moran said Leelah was a good fit for the program and she was glad to see her accepted into it..

“Leelah is an excellent student,” Moran said. “She is reserved in class and has shown that she is not afraid of challenges. She told me from the start of last school year that she really enjoys science and sees herself going into a science-related career.”

Leelah will be a junior this year, but does have a plan for her future. She hopes to attend Ohio Wesleyan University or The Ohio State University after graduating. Her current interest is in biology and genetic engineering.

As for her recent experience, she said, “I made so many friends during the trip. Everyone, including the staff, was very kind and I do keep in touch with three of the people that I met. We are planning to meet up soon.”

“The most memorable take-away from the two weeks,” she continued, “was when we arrived at the lab for the first time and I spoke to my mentors who were Melissa Dumas, Ross Toedte and Bill Cabage. I was also in awe of the giant science buildings and all of the scientists who were running tests in their own labs.”