Her Story
About Chanda
Chanda Jefferson is the Director of Community Engagement and Outreach in higher education, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. With over 20 years in education and four years in her current role, she provides strategic planning for K-12 STEM outreach programs aimed at students historically underrepresented in STEM fields. Her flagship initiatives include educator training through the Explore Labs Educator Fellowship in AI, data science, and safety science; the Fife Penn STEM and Computer Science Academy for K-8 students; the Summer Mentorship Program offering bioengineering, technology, and robotics courses for 9th and 10th graders; the Glassman Penn Scholars Program exposing 11th graders to AI, physics, mathematics, computing, and research; and the High School Internship Program pairing selected students with faculty and PhD mentors for seven weeks of research in bioengineering, mechanical engineering, robotics, computing, and medicine. Jefferson earned a bachelor's degree in biological sciences and a master's in teaching secondary sciences from the University of South Carolina, a master's in school building leadership from Columbia University, and a Peruvian Ecology credit from Widener University following research in the Amazon rainforest. Her notable honors include the 2020 South Carolina Teacher of the Year award, selection for the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship where she advised on science and technology policy, recognition as a Distinguished Alumna young alumna from the University of South Carolina College of Arts and Sciences in 2022, and inclusion in the 12 under 40 list from the University of South Carolina College of Education in 2026. She is a member of the National Science Teaching Association and serves on the Education Advisory Board for the Morpho Institutes, a nonprofit that recruits educators for Amazon ecology research. Jefferson attributes her success to values of service, operating with passion and purpose, lifelong learning, and selflessness, and she advises others to rely on their why while seeking strong mentors.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Chanda
01What do you attribute your success to?
I believe that I've been successful because of my values, and one of them is service. As long as there's some sort of service component associated with my work and I'm able to help someone else get to the place that they want to be, that has been a part of my success. I also believe in operating on purpose with passion and purpose. I've always been passionate about working with young people and raising up that next generation. I call the work that I do heart work. It's not about a paycheck for me, but it's literally about how can I influence someone's life, add value, help support someone get to the next level. I consider myself a lifelong learner and a selfless person. Being kind to people and attentive to other people's needs have opened doors for me.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
One of my mentors always says the only people that go with the flow are dead fish. You don't want to be a person that's just following the status quo and not trying to innovate in your field. You always want to be a person that's living and lively, bringing something new to the table, challenging the status quo to create change and transformation. Don't dim your light. Sometimes as women we're told to walk into spaces and don't be too loud or don't share your ideas, but being able to share with people who you are and the experiences that you had is actually helpful to them.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
When times are difficult, always rely on your why, your passion, and your purpose. It gives you the perspective that you need to keep going. Make sure that you have a great mentor in your life so that you can talk to them about whatever it is that you're going through and they'll give you perspective as well.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The challenges as a person doing kindergarten through 12th grade pre-college work in a higher education institution is explaining to faculty members, researchers, and professors why this work is important. Oftentimes faculty are focused on their research and say they weren't exposed until later, but starting them early will be helpful for the advancement of scientific solutions and ensure students are ready. It's about early preparation for future advancement and ensuring we stay ahead as global leaders in STEM. It's promising because the dean fully embraced the work.
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