Our Mission
Providing a platform for girls and young women to “Be Good & Be Hopeful”
Scientella is a student-run, adult-guided nonprofit organization (fiscally sponsored by Mission Edge) empowering the next generation of women in STEM.
We connect girls and young women with real-world career exploration, impact-minded leadership development, and scholarships that help them build the confidence, skills, and networks needed to thrive as innovators and leaders in STEM.
Our History and Cause
Despite making up ~50% of the U.S. workforce, women represent only 28% of STEM jobs and hold fewer than 20% of executive STEM leadership roles. These disparities are not due to lack of talent, but unequal access to early exposure, mentorship, networks, and economic support.
The STEM gender gap often begins during middle and high school, when confidence, identity, and opportunity shape long-term career pathways. Many girls face stereotypes, limited role models, and fewer opportunities to engage meaningfully with STEM fields. At the same time, companies seek diverse talent pipelines, yet rarely engage students before college.
Scientella was founded in San Diego in 2020 to address this gap early.
Our goal is to:
• Expand the pipeline of young women pursuing STEM pathways
• Develop the confidence, leadership skills, and networks needed to succeed and advance in STEM careers
By equipping girls with real-world experiences, mentorship, and leadership opportunities, Scientella helps cultivate a future STEM workforce that is more innovative, inclusive, and representative.
Our Value Proposition
Scientella delivers hands-on Career Exploration Matches that connect students with real-world STEM experiences and role models.
Through Student Consulting Projects, One-on-One Mentorships, Webinars, and In-Person Events, students gain practical exposure to STEM careers while building professional confidence, leadership skills, and meaningful networks.
These experiences strengthen students’ college applications, career readiness, and long-term interest in STEM fields.
For industry partners, Scientella offers a meaningful way to:
• Engage employees in mentoring the next generation of STEM talent
• Support diversity and inclusion in the future STEM workforce
• Gain valuable insights from youth perspectives
Our Uniqueness
Student-Run, Adult-Guided
Scientella operates through a collaborative structure combining student leadership with professional mentorship. Our Headquarters team, known as the “Steministas,” includes student leaders supported by an Advisory Board of STEM professionals and allies who guide the organization’s mission.
Career Exploration + Impact-Minded Leadership
Scientella is built on the belief that young women are not only future leaders - they are leaders today. Students progress through a leadership ladder from Match Participants to Chapter Officers to National HQ Leaders, gaining responsibility, confidence, and a service-oriented mindset along the way.
Impact Scholarships
Scientella awards Impact Scholarships of up to $1,000 to students who demonstrate sustained commitment, leadership, and measurable impact within their communities. These scholarships help remove financial barriers to education-related expenses and recognize students who uplift others while pursuing STEM pathways.
Testimonials
"The way that Scientella sets up their interviews makes it very easy for the student and the mentor to interact. When I met Lisa I instantly felt like I was talking to a friend, and she answered every question I had perfectly. The way she connected her career and her experience together made it easier to understand what I was getting into. Scientella is set up perfectly!" - Paulina Martinez, Junior - 1 on 1 mentoring
"Scientella's consulting project was eye-opening and a unique experience to be a part of! I learned valuable career skills, and had the opportunity to work directly with companies to develop solutions. This project has allowed me to broaden my scope of possible career paths, and was an overall memorable experience!" - Audrey Shao, Junior - consulting project
“I had the opportunity to debrief with the mentee following this conversation and she was SO fired up! Kudos to Scientella for creating such a powerful tool for connecting our future women scientists to amazing mentors.” - Dawn Mattoon, Quanterix Senior VP of Research Products Business, Strategic Marketing & Assay Technologies - 1 on 1 mentoring
"Scientella provided me with an extremely rare opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the business world of the STEM field. I was able to learn about a super relevant issue and about a career which I could see myself pursuing in the future while surrounded by peers who were just as interested and engaged as me. It was an amazing experience and I'm so grateful to the program!" - Avery Mattoon, Junior - consulting project
"Being part of a student consulting project was fantastic! I was able to collaborate with like-minded girls and received guidance from an experienced industry professional. This project gave me an opportunity to explore STEM through a more business-oriented lens. I feel much more confident and excited to pursue an interdisciplinary field in the future." - Anjana Shriram, Junior - consulting project
“The Scientella student consulting projects are the epitome of a better future. Built upon trust and guidance to youngsters, it empowered and challenged this amazing young group of women to be innovative, productive yet efficient. It cemented the fundamentals of the next generation of thinkers and leaders. Thanks for letting me contribute that little to such a great program.” - Xavier Soler, MD, Ph.D. Associate professor of medicine, UC San Diego Health. Medical director, COPD Foundation and respiratory consultant - consulting project
"It was very valuable to be able to gain more insight about the field and what her job looks like on a day to day basis. I also enjoyed receiving advice on what I should do now as a high schooler before applying and entering into college." - Liana Ahyuen, Senior - 1 on 1 mentoring
"Such an honor to work with this incredibly capable group of young women. Scientella has created a vehicle for fostering collaborative, experiential learning while cultivating the next generation of women STEM leaders. Congratulations to Raquel, Sachel, Maggie, Audrey, Avery, Anjana, and Emily for their excellent work on this project!" - Dawn Mattoon, Quanterix Senior VP of Research Products Business, Strategic Marketing & Assay Technologies - consulting project
"It was both an honor and a reward to have served as a project sponsor to these ambitious young women who are eager to learn, grow, and make their mark on the whole. I was thrilled to have broadened their exposure to potential fields of interest and so impressed by the outcome of their project (even with no prior corporate experience or college education). I highly recommend Scientella to both sponsors and students.” - Lyndsay Toll, former HP Inc., ResMed Sr. Mgr. New Business Creation - consulting project
“Raquel, Elizabeth, Ray, Emma, Audrey, & Sanjana, It was a pleasure to work with you. And I am truly impressed with the final report. We will definitely use the learnings there to improve our chances of success.” - Jeff Coleman, BrainLeap Technologies CEO/Co-Founder - consulting project
Sponsors & Partners
Scientella is fiscally sponsored by Mission Edge San Diego. Our network of corporate sponsors and community partners allow us to offer an unparalleled collection of career exploration and leadership development programs.
