Marian Middle School is pleased to announce exciting impact as a result of its long-term partnership with Bayer Fund, a philanthropic arm of Bayer in the U.S. Bayer Fund has been a vital Marian supporter since 2009, including through its most recent $40,000 grant to support Marian’s exceptional Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) curriculum over the past school year.
“Marian educates girls for life, and high-quality STEM education is critical to enabling our girls to obtain higher paying, sustainable careers that can help break the cycle of poverty,” said Mary Elizabeth Grimes, president of Marian. “Partners like Bayer Fund provide the tools we need to prepare our students for
the world they will inherit.”
Marian Middle School is the only all-girls, private Catholic middle school in the City of St. Louis. Students receive a transformational education and enrichment programming during their middle school years and graduate support throughout high school and college as part of Marian’s Graduate Support Program. More than 300 students have graduated from Marian since its founding in 1999. In June, 100% of graduating alumnae went to post-secondary educational institutions and a total of 55 Marian alumnae have earned college degrees.
In addition to grant funding, Bayer, one of the top life-sciences companies in the country, has become a valued educational partner as Marian has recently launched its workforce readiness and internship programs. Marian Alumna Ro’Niyah Harris recently started her second year as an intern at Bayer. She is one of three young people selected to attend the Agriculture Future of America Conference in Sacramento in July with all expenses paid. The opportunity to attend the program is highly prestigious and gives promising youth the opportunity to see what is possible within the industry.
Marian introduced its STEM curriculum to students in 2011. Since then, STEM has become an important interdisciplinary way of learning, teaching, and thinking for Marian Girls. Teachers cultivate curiosity with authentic, project-based learning and the engineering design loop, processes that engage students in research, identification of real-world problems, and the development of solutions.
Currently, 90 percent of Marian Girls are interested in STEM careers, including pursuing careers such as architects, engineers, pediatric cardiologists, and veterinarians, among others. As a result of Bayer Fund’s long-term investment, today Marian alumnae are pursuing bright careers in STEM, including:
● Faith C. – Marian Class of 2012 – who recently graduated from UMSL with a degree in
Information Systems and Technology and attended the highly prestigious and competitive
Diversity Cyber Academy. She recently secured a position working at Mandiant, a Google-owned cyber security consulting company.
● Nola F. – Marian Class of 2014 – currently attending UMSL, majoring in Information Systems and Technology. She recently completed an internship through NPower, a program that offers skills to those wanting to enter a career in technology.
● Jalila H. – Marian Class of 2018 – who will be double majoring in Media Production and Computer Engineering at Loyola University, Chicago. Jahlia recently graduated high school with a 4.03 GPA.
● Aziyah Y. – Marian Class of 2017 – entering her second year at Saint Louis University as a
Computer Science major.
● Jere S. – Marian Class of 2009 – currently pursuing an Electrical Engineering degree at Alabama A&M University.
“The impact achieved by Marian and the girls Marian serves is unmatched” said Shannon Hauf, Senior Vice President and Head of Seed Production Innovation at Bayer and vice-chair for Marian’s Board of Directors. “I am proud to work for Bayer, a company that recognizes and supports Marian’s efforts, and likewise, proud to serve on a board that advocates for our region’s most promising future leaders.
Marian Girls are the future, and it’s our role as leaders to light the way for their success.”
For example, in May, Marian students got the exciting opportunity to meet with a variety of diverse women leaders at Bayer to talk about their career paths at the company, participate in STEM activities and tour Bayer’s Chesterfield facility. The event was sponsored by several groups at Bayer that focus on inclusion, diversity, equity, and access for all.
“Time and again, Bayer has demonstrated its belief in our mission and the importance of supporting STEM education for Marian Girls,” added Grimes. “Bayer Fund has generously provided grants, with Bayer and its employees committing time to our board and opening doors for Marian Girls through internships and experiences. We are thankful to have them as a corporate partner.”
“Throughout the years, the grants given through Bayer Fund have helped strengthen our communities across the United States,” said Al Mitchell, President of Bayer Fund. “We’re proud to be able to provide support to develop programs that help combat challenges such as food insecurity, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education and support services to patients and families managing an illness or disease.”
In 2021, Bayer Fund awarded more than $13.1 million to over 3,400 charitable and nonprofit
organizations to help address essential needs in Food and Nutrition, STEM Education and Health & Wellness. Over the last five years, nonprofit organizations across the U.S. have received more than $75 million.