The UMass Amherst Massenberg STEM Institute’s Summer STEM Program inspired a high school student to attend UMass—and now he is thriving.

Shon Hernandez ’29 is wrapping up his first year at UMass Amherst and loving it. With an ideal roommate match, fun social life, and interesting classes, UMass has been a great fit.

But this is not Hernandez’s first time living on campus. Hernandez first experienced UMass as a participant in the Massenberg STEM Institute’s Summer STEM Program, which he attended as a rising high school sophomore. Hernandez says that his time on campus influenced his decision to return to UMass as an undergraduate.

“There was something about UMass that stuck with me [after Massenberg]. I don’t know how to describe it,” Hernandez says. “I wanted to get something new in life; I didn’t want to stay complacent. I saw the university as a great chance for me to spread my wings.”

The Massenberg Summer STEM Institute is a residential summer program that gives students the chance to explore opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) while also experiencing campus life. Generously sponsored by the Samuel Massenberg Foundation, which was founded in 2016 by Mirian Graddick-Weir PhD and Michael Weir EdD, ’76, this free program is open to rising 10th graders from underserved communities in Massachusetts and New Jersey.

Hernandez, who was born in Newark, New Jersey and moved to Springfield, Massachusetts, in 2015, learned about the program through his high school counselor.

“My counselor was aware that the program was looking for students from the area who were excelling,” says Hernandez, who would go on to graduate as his high school valedictorian. “It was a great opportunity for me to get out of my comfort zone, meet new people, and visit a university for the first time.”

During the two-week program, students live in dorms, attend classes, engage in group activities, and visit Boston-area technology companies to learn about careers in STEM. They also receive individual support and guidance to help with their final years of high school and preparing for college. The experience culminates in a final project and presentation.

The Massenberg Institute had a significant impact on Hernandez.

“My Massenberg experience literally influenced my decision to attend UMass,” he says. “It also helped me to better acclimate to college life [as a UMass student].”

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Hernandez entered UMass in the fall of 2025 and is thriving at the university. A journalism major, he is working to build his portfolio and writes for the Massachusetts Daily Collegian, the UMass student newspaper.  He also enjoys playing basketball in the rec center and exploring campus on foot.

“Every distance is walking distance if you have enough time,” he says.

Though he ultimately realized that a STEM major wasn’t for him, Hernandez regularly draws upon skills he gained in the Massenberg program. One learning experience happened during his final presentation in which he and his team needed to demonstrate their robotics programming skills in front of an audience but experienced technical difficulties.

“During the event our robotics decided not to work. We had to figure out why it wasn’t working while [continuing to] speak to the audience,” he says. “I was one of the people to talk to the audience while other members of the team figured things out. The experience gave me confidence. Not everything will go your way, but you adapt and learn from it.”

Hernandez encourages other eligible high schoolers to explore the Massenberg program and says that he plans to return this summer as a mentor.

“The Massenberg experience was life changing for me. It made me bloom, made me realize that not everything in life is negative and school can be fun. More people should take these types of opportunities.”

Shon Hernandez ’29 

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