Longwood’s InVEST in STEM program addresses teacher shortages in key subjects

Because of this scholarship, I'm going to graduate debt free. I'll pay off my student loans by the end of the semester, and I wouldn't be able to do that without being part of InVEST in STEM.

"Because of this scholarship, I'm going to graduate debt free," said 2025 InVEST in STEM signee August Raybould '26, a mathematics major. "I'll pay off my student loans by the end of the semester, and I wouldn't be able to do that without being part of InVEST in STEM."

Raybould, a senior, was part of Longwood's second cohort of InVEST in STEM signees, pledging alongside fellow seniors Karma Gaydon '27 and Skye Sapp '26, and first-year transfer student Adam Aguilar '28 to teach in a STEM field in grades 6-12. Those four made their pledges official during an athletics-inspired signing ceremony in Longwood's French Hall, doing so in front of an audience of their peers, family and faculty mentors.

"My parents are teachers, so I didn't really have a choice," joked Raybould. "I've wanted to be a teacher since I was 5, and a math teacher since high school. I came to Longwood knowing I was going to be a math teacher, which was perfectly aligned with InVEST in STEM."

Spearheaded by Longwood professor of mathematics education Dr. Leah Shilling-Stouffer and backed by the national Noyce Scholarship Program, Longwood's InVEST in STEM initiative launched in 2023 with a planning year and welcomed the first cohort of five scholars in 2024. In addition to awarding scholarships up to $20,000 annually while enrolled at Longwood, the program also establishes a support network for scholars to help prepare and coach participants through their initial "induction year" in the classroom after graduation.

Within the first two years of the five-year program, nine Longwood students have signed on. The first InVEST in STEM graduate, Nick Freeman '25, is currently teaching algebra and statistics at Freedom High School in Woodbridge, while five others are seniors on the cusp of beginning their teaching careers after student teaching in the spring.

The program is open to juniors and seniors majoring in biology, chemistry, mathematics or physics who have declared a concentration in secondary education. Students transferring to Longwood from community colleges, including dual-enrollment students, can also receive up to three years of scholarship support if they enroll with at least junior standing.

InVEST in STEM's scholarships, says Shilling-Stouffer, address a significant barrier for many students and allows them to hone their focus on becoming better teachers. Meanwhile, the teaching-specific professional development prepares them for challenges like classroom management, and the mentoring and networking give the students a lifeline once they're in their first years as educators.

We've reached almost the midway point [of InVEST in STEM], and you can see the impact. I see that a student will have no student loan debt when they go off to teach, and that's amazing.

"We've reached almost the midway point [of InVEST in STEM], and you can see the impact," Shilling-Stouffer said. "I see that a student will have no student loan debt when they go off to teach, and that's amazing. We just had our very first graduate last May, and we're in close contact with him now that he's in his first year."

Shilling-Stouffer also notes that the selection process for the program's first two cohorts has been competitive. Participants are chosen by a group that includes Shilling-Stouffer, Longwood Professor of Chemistry Dr. Melissa Rhoten, and Director of the Institute for Teaching Through Technology and Innovative Practices (ITTIP) Dr. Paula Leach, as well as faculty from partner institutions and transfer student pipelines Patrick & Henry Community College and Virginia Western Community College. Additionally, Longwood professor emeritus Dr. Sharon Emerson-Stonnell, who helped launch InVEST in STEM before her retirement in 2024, also continues to contribute as a consultant.

As STEM faculty, Shilling-Stouffer and her team are also able to recruit their own STEM students who have expressed interest in teaching. Those established relationships have given the group a jump-start on the long-term mentorship aspect of InVEST in STEM.

"Just having that support after your first year is crucial," added Shilling-Stouffer, a first-generation college graduate who is also director of Longwood's Quantitative Reasoning Center. "Those first few years are tough on new teachers, and within five years there's data that suggests anywhere from 30-50 percent of them leave and never come back."

The program's focus on the long-term success of future STEM teachers also includes placement into qualifying schools in Virginia or, in the case of signees like Raybould, other states as well. Students are required to teach at least two years at a high-need school for every year of scholarship they receive, and they must fulfill those obligations within eight years of graduating.

"It's a win for everybody," Shilling-Stouffer said. "It's a win for Longwood because we're either attracting or keeping people engaged in our secondary education programs for math and science. It's a win for schools because it helps keep young teachers there long enough to grow as professionals and develop relationships with students. And it's a win for our students because they get a scholarship and a network of support to help them navigate those first few challenging years of teaching."