AUSTIN, Texas — During Black History Month, KVUE News is celebrating the contributions Black Americans have made to our community.
Matt Stephenson is the co-Founder and CEO of Code2College, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing the number of minorities and low-income high school students who enter science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) undergraduate majors and careers across the country.
KVUE viewers first met Stephenson in 2018, just two years after launching his program.
Since then, Stephenson said the nonprofit has impacted the lives of more than 5,000 students nationwide.
Code2College also helps high school students learn coding skills and earn paid summer internships with more than 40 corporate partners such as Google, H-E-B, and Indeed.
The nonprofit is trying to eliminate the opportunity gap for Black, Latino and female students because these groups in particular have faced structural and economic barriers when entering STEM career fields.
Stephenson said part of the program’s success is mentors who volunteer their time to guide high school students.
Looking to the future, summer 2024 is set to be the first time since opening where the organization will have more girls than boys placed in internship programs.