Full STEAM ahead: Meet intern Sam McCullum
Sam McCullum
Sam McCullum left Western Illinois University Quad Cities with more than a diploma. Through an internship required for his bachelor’s degree, he created STEAM on Wheels, a nonprofit that provides young learners with an exciting curriculum combining art with science, technology, engineering, and math.
Now, as he wraps up a master’s degree in community and economic development, he finds himself in a new internship, this time at the Quad Cities Community Foundation. Here, Sam shares his thoughts on the experience so far.
How did you connect with the Community Foundation?
After I completed the first summer at STEAM on Wheels, I met President Sherry Ristau, and that’s how I learned about the Community Foundation. They sponsored me to go to Miami for the Forward Cities conference, and just to be able to sit at the table with the leaders of the Quad Cities was truly inspiring. That trip stuck with me. When I knew I was going to do another internship, I reached out and said, “Hey, Sherry—I know you want to keep me in the Quad Cities…” That’s how it all started.
What are you learning through the internship this summer?
Sherry only showed me the tip of the iceberg when we first started talking. For one project, I’m analyzing data to make an interactive map as a visual for donors and to help us identify patterns. For another, I’m going out into the community and asking questions about the things nonprofits need to be successful—then making a map to help connect nonprofits with those resources.
The Community Foundation has let me sit at the decision-making table, and I understand now what happens when that grant committee comes together.
What are you discovering about the community during your time here?
One thing I’m learning is that there’s so much opportunity here. The community is really moving forward in terms of entrepreneurship and having diverse leadership. I believe everyone’s voice is being heard here in the Quad Cities.
As an executive director, I’m also learning that you have to be out in the community. People need to know who you are, and that’s why I love the outreach work.
The mission of the Community Foundation is to transform the region through the generosity of donors. What does that mission mean to you, and how have you seen it happening so far?
The Community Foundation sets the table—for donors and nonprofits. They’re there to share information from both sides of the playing field. The way I define generosity, I don’t think of it as just money. It’s also time. I’ve seen that the Community Foundation is really willing to give their time to nonprofits to explain how to apply to funding. And then they give their time to donors to explain where these funds are needed to make the community better.
What is your hope for the Quad Cities community?
One of the reasons I’m so passionate about STEAM on Wheels is that I didn’t have something like this growing up. I really want to encourage the next generation and let them know that it’s okay to love science, engineering, and tech. It’s okay to be a nerd!
With that in mind, I hope future Quad Cities employers will embrace a digital, entrepreneurial, and connected world that will result in communities that are not only smarter but better.