Texas Educator Awarded for STEM Work with AFA

On January 21, 2026, the University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW) recognized student educator, Mandy Eckhardt, for her volunteer STEM work with Northeast Texas AFA Chapter 416, with a $500 scholarship and recognition as one of three students selected for a Martin Luther King community service scholarship.

AFA’s Northeast Texas Chapter 416 (AFA416), headquartered in Greenville, Texas, brings STEM to life in rural classroom’s through community support, partner donations, and free national AFA resources.

Eckhardt is one of the inspiring educators that AFA416 has supported. Her journey from being a reluctant science student to biomedical researcher and STEM advocate is a powerful reminder of how one person can make a difference. Eckhardt works with AFA416 to provide science experiments for students in rural areas with limited access to STEM activities. This community work loomed large in her UTSW award selection.

A Genetics, Development and Disease (GDD) Program graduate student, Eckhardt plans to pursue a career as a scientist in the biotechnology field. With her passion for science, she hopes to continue expanding STEM accessibility to rural communities.

Eckhardt is also a graduate of Sulphur Springs Elementary School in Sulphur Springs, Texas. During her graduate work she developed experiments to inspire students to learn more about science. When she was young, she was similarly inspired by an educator. AFA416 met her when she provided support to the chapter sponsored GROW (Girls Recognizing Own Worth) program at the Sulphur Springs Elementary school and began sponsoring her work. 

AFA416 is helping her with her rural STEM outreach with a $1,000 grant, renewed and refreshed annually to enable her to support her outreach. Mandy has done sessions at GROW for the past three years, has presented them to the Hughes Springs Library after school programs, and is scheduled to present five sessions at the Wolfe City Texas High School in 2026. Mandy’s sessions cost less than $200 for supplies and equipment, most being less than that. This small investment can support 30 to 90 students depending on the experiment.

“It is not hard to help and make a difference with a few dollars,” said Vance Clarke, AFA416 Chapter Treasurer. 

Read more about Mandy Eckhardt in the Texas Aviation STEM Magazine. This magazine is a localized national publication, sponsored by multiple Texas based organizations, one of which is the AFA Texas Aerospace Foundation working to spread STEM concepts to educators.

If you would like to learn more, reach out to Vance Clarke at TX416.Northeast.Treasurer@afa.org.