Ekarus: Preparing students of all ages to become future scientists

Dr. Sidime

Ekarus is a high school after school science program that gives students the opportunity to do research in the STEM field. Additionally , Ekarus tutors students in the sciences and provides international research opportunities abroad.

The vision of Ekarus is to increase the number of underrepresented individuals in the STEM field starting from the high school level.

What was the inspiration to start this business?

As a minority in the sciences/STEM discipline, I was fortunate to be involved in undergraduate programs like the Louis Stokes Alliance For Minority Participation (LSAMP) program that helped underrepresented individuals in the STEM field like me. I had great mentors that guided me through my research and academic path till I obtained my Ph. D in Neuroscience. I realized the importance of having mentors especially in a field that was dominated with individuals that didn’t look like me.

As a result, I decided that I would provide the same mentorship program at the high school level. I wanted to give back to students that have a passion to one day become a doctor or scientist.

When you started your business, did you ever envision that you would be where you are now?

When I began Ekarus, I had one dedicated and passionate student whose parents wanted to support their child in every way possible. They were so excited to do research every weekend with my program. This passion from both parents and student encouraged me to continue recruiting more students as I realized there was a need for a after school science program that was challenging. What makes Ekarus different from other programs is that the level of research we give the high school student is at a college level.

This makes the student extremely competitive when they apply for undergraduate programs after high school. Ekarus’ numbers started to increase from then on.

The more other parents saw what the program was doing for my current students, the more other parents signed their kids on. Did I envision Ekarus being where it is now? Yes, I did, in fact, I believe Ekarus is growing because this is they type of program that most high school students in the STEM field need.

Was there ever a time that things didn't fall into place, struggles, or challenges? What were they and how did you get past it and grow from the experience?

Starting a business requires finances. As a perfectionist, I want to ensure the services that my company provides to be at the highest caliber possible. I didn’t have the money to keep maintaining these levels, so I asked my family and network of friends/colleagues for their help. I would call for advice and consultations from friends that had expertise in the fields I needed help in.

Areas would range from accounting, business strategies, legal advice and much more. The idea is not to give up, but ask for help from your network that believe in your cause.

What was the biggest lesson you learned while starting and growing this business?

We have to learn how to crawl, stand, walk and then run during our developmental milestones as children. In the same sense, you have to approach your business as such. I have so many large ideas for where I envision Ekarus to be in the next 10 years.

I wanted to work on all of the projects instantaneously, but realized that I had to start small. Everything will build from one starting point. One point of focus is important in establishing your brand.

What would you tell a FEM that is struggling in her business and feel like it's too difficult?

You are in a unique position that many aren’t in. Continue to embrace this opportunity. We all have different journeys that we are traveling, but most of us have had struggles in different forms.

Those that you see still standing strong have persevered; not because their journey was easy, but because they believed in their dream. This is your dream, so continue to create it into a reality that not only you can see, but the whole world can.

What continues to inspire you to keep on growing your business?

The passion and commitment my students have to be in the lab irrespective of whether they are feeling ill is really motivating and moving. Their eyes lightening up and being excited that they understand the material taught makes it all worthwhile.

Finally, the differences it will cause for the students and their communities later on is the most important part of Ekarus’ vision.

Final advice for those thinking of starting a business or looking to grow their current business?

The success of your business depends on the level of commitment and dedication you contribute to it. Be prepared to spend many hours and not having much sleep as you run your business.’

Enjoy the journey - this is your creation and despite the lack of sleep, the results will be worthwhile.

To connect: IG- @ekarusglobalscience