My Y?

Hello, my name is Liam Gillis. In late 2022, my dear friend Sayid Achilov proposed to me the idea of joining the collaborative Y4STEM as well as the mission Y4STEM is rooted in, I was intrigued and instantly accepted his proposition, and was onboarded to Y4STEM as the Branch Manager, with the help of the collaborative we have created a variety of initiatives in order to produce positive change in the world.

In my younger years I was facisnated by mathematics, how it was the basis of almost everything around me, how planes could fly, skyscrapers could scrape the sky, even how the rubik’s cube I was playing with was made. This led me to start taking upper level math courses at an early age, each topic led me to be more enchanted by mathematics. But, when I found the discipline of chemistry I found my other passion, together math and chemistry became an intrinsic part of me. As I started to research more and more, I revealed the positive work that is done in both these fields to better the world, I knew what I wanted to do, I want to make the world a better place with math and chemistry which eventually led me to chemical engineering, something I hope in the future i’m able to make a noticeable impact for the betterment of the world.

Fortunately, I have had the privilege to explore my interests in STEM, work with many peers coming from many diverse backgrounds, enhance my STEM knowledge in mathematics and chemistry, and I have had the privilege to have the building blocks to help transform the world into a better place. Just like I have a dream to better the world, many who are less privileged than I have the same visions and passions. As a society we need to ensure equal opportunities in Stem, and create a more diverse STEM field.

At Y4STEM we continually aim to accomplish these goals, by offering a variety of STEM based initiatives for free in order to support those who can’t financially afford other profit-based STEM initiatives. Thinking back to when I started to tutor in mathematics, starting with my twin sister, and then in my community(disclaimer, I’m Portuguese-American) located in a diverse area of the United States I was able to teach mathematics, but also gain new perspectives and understanding of what STEM is, through the kids I helped tutor. Unfortunately, many communities don’t have this luxury of being supported in STEM. This is why I joined Y4STEM, to make a better tomorrow, that not just a select few can participate in, but everyone who has a passion can, no matter what situation they may face in life.