2026 COMMENCEMENT SERIES | Marquette senior bridges the gap in science education

Since she was a young girl, Raya Broeren has felt drawn toward science.

"I was really interested in science when I was a kid," the biomedical sciences major says. "I tried to get involved in as many science classes and experiences as I could."

That early curiosity, combined with working as a certified nursing assistant, helped shape her long-term goals.

"That's where I really found my passion, and that's really kind of where I sparked my interest to become a doctor and pursue biomedical sciences," she says.

Now, Broeren is working to pass that same spark on to a new generation. For the past two years, Broeren has been bringing hands-on science experiments to elementary students at Milwaukee Public Schools. Her work focuses on students in under-resourced classrooms, where access to interactive science learning can be limited.

According to Dr. Douglas Lobner, professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Marquette, "Engaging in hands on science experiments brings science to life, which is particularly important in under-resourced schools where students are unlikely to have significant exposure to science."

In the classroom, Broeren focuses on making science accessible, engaging and fun. A typical visit includes a short presentation followed by hands-on experiments that students work on individually.

"We focus on giving hands-on experiments that they can each do at their desk, so they each get their own individual experience," Broeren says. "Then a lot of our time is spent walking around the room talking to them, helping them and gauging what we think their understanding is."

Broeren aims to simplify complex ideas and connect them to students' everyday experiences.

"We like to connect it to something in the real world that they do understand and then branch from there to get to something more complex," she explains.

The impact is visible not just in comprehension, but also in enthusiasm.

"Initially, you give them an experiment, and they're not sure what to do," Broeren says. "They go from hesitancy on the first day to immediate excitement when we enter the room on the last day. Ultimately, we're trying to spark interest in science."

Beyond the classroom, Broeren sees the work as part of a larger effort to address disparities in education and career paths.

"There's a gap in the number of students from under-resourced areas that pursue a science career," Broeren explains. "If they don't have that exposure at that young age, they don't form an interest in science, and they don't view that career path as an option."

Lobner emphasized that the benefits go both ways. "The type of community engagement that Raya, and other students, participate in is both providing experiences for children that they would not otherwise have and is giving the college students perspectives that are valuable for their future careers," he says, adding that experiences like these "will help make them be compassionate professionals in their future careers."

As Broeren looks ahead to a future in medicine, she hopes to expand the program and involve more students: "The goal is that we can hit more classrooms and more grades for a greater impact on the community."

In the meantime, Broeren's work continues to make a difference one experiment at a time.

Students interested in getting involved can contact Abby Sharkey ([email protected]) for more information.