UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Although high school was not his favorite place as a teenager, Penn State alumnus Jordan Chapman quickly realized just how important higher education was for students who look like him.

“I was not a great high school student,” said Chapman, a Philadelphia native. “Once I got into college and received some of the bills, I really started to take my education seriously and take advantage of all the opportunities presented.”

After graduating from Penn State in 2016 with majors in anthropology and geosciences and a minor in geography, Chapman decided to pursue a master's degree in anthropology at the University of Georgia. He then took it a step further to prove to himself that he was capable of more than he thought and is currently a doctoral candidate at Baylor University.

Higher education did not always seem possible for Chapman due to the financial aspects that come along with attending college, he said. However, once he was accepted to Penn State, Chapman became a Chaiken Scholar and McNair Scholar, which allowed him to focus more on his academics and relieved the financial pressure on him and his family. The opportunities he had as a Chaiken Scholar in the College of the Liberal Arts, like speaking at a Mount Nittany Society donor recognition event, made him realize that he could succeed as a young professional.

“I do not think I would have gotten through or finished at Penn State without being a part of the Chaiken or McNair scholar programs,” Chapman said.

During his time at Penn State, Chapman had the opportunity to travel and complete research. One specific experience that he was fond of, he said, was the opportunity to participate in an archaeological excavation in Israel through the Tel Akko Total Archaeology Field School through the College of the Liberal Arts. Traveling was something Chapman always wanted to do, and with help from Liberal Arts Student Services and his scholarships, he made this dream a reality.

“If not for the College of the Liberal Arts and the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, and being prepared by taking the classes within these particular undergraduate programs, I would not have succeeded as well as I have in the programs I’m in now,” Chapman said.

Knowing that the higher he would go within his education and professional career, the harder it would likely be to see other people like himself, inspired Chapman to think of ways he could change this unfortunate, but true, phenomenon, he said. After he graduated with his master’s degree and moved back to Philadelphia, he noticed the lack of Black or underrepresented individuals in his career and in STEM in general. From this realization, he and others created the Black Science Coalition and Institute (B-SCI) in 2019.

“Our main goal is to encourage people to be scientists — underrepresented groups and communities especially. We just went through a pandemic where we had a huge public health crisis, and then we have climate change as well, which are not conversations that Black people have historically been part of,” Chapman said. “We just want to generate interest in these kinds of topics from underrepresented individuals.”

The organization also has a podcast called B-Scientists, where Chapman is one of the co-hosts alongside Jana Carpenter, a chemist and graduate student at the University of Georgia. The pair discuss current events relating to science and what it is like being a minority in STEM. They also host special guests.

“It’s been rewarding in a lot of different ways. It’s honestly the reason why I am starting to do a lot more work with science communications and other nonprofits like B-SCI,” Chapman said. “It’s been nice to talk to people about science and see how interested they become.”

Related to these efforts, Chapman was awarded the opportunity to travel to Vienna, Austria through the Jackson Wild Media Lab to learn more about the transformation and use of media and storytelling in terms of science.

“I never thought I would be able to talk to National Geographic explorers in person and meet other people from all over and make really great connections,” Chapman said.

Though he does have what seems like a never-ending to-do list of classes, papers, and work related to B-SCI, Chapman said he finds solace in setting boundaries between work and his personal life. He sets strict time limits for himself to get work done and cuts off school at a certain time in the evening to do things that he personally enjoys, like reading or playing video games.

“I get this work ethic and passion from my mom. She was always encouraging me to do things that I was interested in and not waste time doing things I wasn’t,” Chapman said. “However, I want to note that it is so important to know that you can take a break. If you need one, don’t let anyone make you feel bad for needing a break.”