Voelcker Academy a success

Elizabeth Santiago, Voelcker Academy participant

“It was never enough for me. I needed to know more. I’m very passionate about cheerleading – and research,” she said. I love my cheerleading team. I think they’re great. But this is something I could see myself doing as a career.” –Elizabeth Santiago

With a $750,000 grant, the Voelcker Fund established The Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Biomedical Research Academy at the Health Science Center in July 2009. Twenty-two local high school sophomores participated in biomedical research with sophisticated, hands-on laboratory workshops and field trips, and received mentoring from distinguished faculty. This was the inaugural phase of the three-year pilot program. The purpose of the Voelcker Academy is to prepare students for college while developing the next generation of biomedical scientists for San Antonio.

Voelcker Academy participant, Elizabeth Santiago, (pictured above) will be a sophomore at the International School of the Americas this fall. She is a varsity cheerleader but chose the Voelcker Academy over cheerleading camp this past summer. She developed an interest in science at school.