Today we’d like to introduce you to Cynthia Chapple.
Cynthia, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Hi. My last name is pronounced ch-“apple”. I grew up on the south side of Chicago, as 1 of 8 children. Chocolate is my favorite thing to eat all the time for no reason at all. I attended Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis for my undergraduate degrees in Forensic and Investigative Science and Chemistry. I subsequently returned to school and received a Master of Science in Chemistry in 2015. I worked for a state crime lab and also very different industries such as and my most recent employer in the manufacturing industry and electrical coatings market as Senior Research and Development Chemist.
In 2015, I launched Black Girls Do STEM is an online social awareness initiative centering the accomplishments of Black women in STEM and calling for visibility on the issue on underrepresentation of this same demographic in the STEM workforce. In 2018 I began doing STEM workshops in communities with Black girls, unbeknownst to me it was needed, and people were more than interested in supporting it.