Nicole Essien and the Laker STEM Sisters Encourage Exploring Careers, Networking, and Friendship on Campus

(September 8, 2026) - Nicole Essien, the Laker STEM Sisters president and a junior biology major at Clayton State University, joined STEM Sisters through friends in the club and sees the organization as a great way to promote STEM careers, build connections, and get involved on campus.

Essien said her family inspired her to pursue a Biology degree at Clayton State.  She shared that “It began with my dad. He was in and out of the hospital for a while. I was constantly with doctors, physical therapists, speech therapists, and occupational therapists. And so, I always felt my calling was in the medical field of some kind. I didn't quite know what capacity I'd come to Clayton State in, but I knew I wanted to pursue some sort of medical degree. As time went on and as I was often talking with staff, shadowing and watching them, I knew my path was to go to medical school.”

Essien added that “As I went down that path further, I explored how, at Clayton State, to select a major that aligned well for applying to medical school. I talked to a lot of my advisors, a lot of faculty members, and yeah, I just continued down this path of biology. That's when I met a lot of my friends; I was in the Learning Assistant (LA) program. I was a math LA, then a biology LA, and it led me to get one of my internships at the Medical College of Georgia. Just a lot of things compacted into two to three years that got me into this division.”

Essien found that joining a club like Laker STEM Sisters opened doors not only for learning opportunities, but for discovering herself and her capabilities. She shared, “So, my freshman year, I wasn't involved on campus at all, honestly. I would talk to people on campus, but it was primarily going to class, and then back home.” She realizes she was lucky the organization found her, and it opened her eyes to new possibilities on campus. She said, “In my sophomore year, the STEM sisters did a classroom visit in my biology class, and I was enamored. I love the idea of being confident in a space where I felt inadequate. So that led me down a different path of being able to feel more comfortable speaking to faculty members, being able to feel less self-conscious asking questions.”

Once she found her confidence through Laker STEM Sisters, it opened the door to more opportunities for involvement on campus. “My sophomore year was definitely the year that I got to explore a lot. I became a Math Learning Assistant, which is where I met friends on the executive board of Laker STEM Sisters. They encouraged me to join. I felt like I finally found a community and my friends here at Clayton State through the Learning Assistant program. Through that program, I was also able to learn about other clubs like Math Club and Robotics Club.”

Now in her junior year, Essien continued to grow as a leader on campus. This year, she shared that “I have recently been elected President of Laker STEM Sisters. I am also in SGA right now, Student Government Association. I am former and now Interim Committee Chair for Academic Affairs of SGA.”

Follow LakerSTEMSisters on Instagram to explore STEM careers, network, and make new friends.