173. Getting Students Across the Finish Line Ft. Debra Hettleman

3/7/2025

Natasha chats with Debra Hettleman, the CEO of Building STEPS, which stands for Science, Technology And Education Partnerships. This nonprofit is dedicated to fostering college and career success through a multi-year program in Baltimore’s most underserved public high schools. From college prep workshops to summer internships at local STEM companies, Building STEPS helps students navigate the path to college success including applying, attending, and graduating. Debra also shares her journey in growing the organization, insights on scaling it to other cities, and surprising lessons learned from expanding the program to younger grades.

About Debra Hettleman, CEO of Building STEPS: Debra launched Building STEPS in 1999 with the purpose of creating a college pathway for underrepresented students to become STEM professionals. Today, she oversees all aspects of this Baltimore nonprofit from developing and maintaining corporate and institutional partners to advising the Board on creating and implementing growth strategies. She is a graduate of the Greater Baltimore Committee’s The Leadership and has been honored by the Baltimore Business Journal as Maryland’s Top 100 Women. She earned her Project Management Professional certification in 2020. Outside of work, Debra can be found hiking the trails of Maryland’s parks.

Building STEPS (Science, Technology and Education Partnerships, Inc.) is a nonprofit that equips Baltimore's brightest students with the tools to propel them to college and career success. The multi-year program, currently available in fifteen of Baltimore's more challenged public high schools, includes seminars, a paid summer internship, college counseling and alumni services.

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Check out our full unedited video interview with Debra Hettleman above or the edited audio podcast episode for the highlights of our conversation below!

Links from the Show:

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• Email us your questions and more!

Students participate in a STEM Seminar sponsored by Building STEPS in Baltimore, Maryland.

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