For the second year in a row, I Choose To Win had the incredible opportunity to partner with the George Washington Carver Food Research Institute (GWCFRI) for its transformative Ag STEAM Summer Camp—an immersive two-week experience designed to expose students of color to exciting career pathways in the food sciences.
On Day 1 of the 2025 Ag STEAM Academy, we welcomed a cohort of 15 bright young scholars, all eager to explore the connection between food, health, and self. Under the direction of our founder, Melonie Butler, students were guided through a self-discovery journey that helped them uncover their unique strengths, gifts, and interests. Through interactive dialogue and personality-driven reflection, they explored how their identities could align with dynamic careers in the agriculture and healthcare industries.
This partnership was first made possible by GWCFRI Founder Angela Cauley, who invited I Choose To Win to design and facilitate the Self-Discovery component—a critical first step in helping students connect who they are with what they’re capable of becoming.
The Ag STEAM Summer Camp is designed to expose students to the vast landscape of careers within the $1 trillion food industry, which employs over 1.5 million people. By integrating hands-on learning with deep self-reflection, the program helps students imagine the possibilities and make informed decisions about whether these paths align with their future goals. This summer experience is about more than delivering a session, it’s about planting seeds—seeds of confidence, clarity, and curiosity.
We’re grateful to return for another impactful year, and we are energized by the vision of equipping even more youth with the tools to pursue purpose-aligned futures. This is what it means to choose to win.