Student is 1st recipient of the June Bacon-Bercey scholarship
A young woman from UCLA is following in the footsteps of the late meteorologist who reshaped the landscape to make room for other young women aspiring to careers in STEM.
By
Monica Danielle, AccuWeather Managing Editor
Published Mar 10, 2022 1:39 PM EDT
|
Updated Mar 11, 2022 7:24 PM EDT
June Bacon-Bercy was America’s first female TV meteorologist. To honor her legacy, AccuWeather and her family reestablished a scholarship in her name.
“I’ve always been a really curious kid and really love science,” Alexa Terrazas told AccuWeather with a smile. As a little girl growing up in Cathedral City, California, she said she knew from a very young age that she was destined for a career in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
She had completed her undergraduate degree in geology and begun working on her master's and doctoral degrees in atmospheric and oceanic sciences at UCLA when she applied for The June Bacon-Bercey Scholarship in Atmospheric Sciences for Women.
In 1955, June Bacon-Bercy was the first Black woman to earn a college degree in meteorology and later became America's first woman television meteorologist. Originally offered to the American Geophysical Union (AGU) community between 1978 and 1990, the scholarship was conceived to support female graduate students of color interested in atmospheric sciences and intersections with meteorology.
After her death in 2019 at the age of 90, the scholarship was re-established in partnership with AGU with the support of donors, AccuWeather and Bacon-Bercey's family. Her daughter, Dail St. Claire, said it was her mother's final wish to continue her legacy of helping women pursue careers in science.
UCLA student Alexa Terrazas is the first recipient of The June Bacon-Bercey Scholarship in Atmospheric Sciences for Women.
"My mother achieved goals she set for herself that were seemingly unachievable and certainly had not been achieved by women and minorities," St. Claire told AccuWeather. She described her mother as a pioneer who wanted to help other women of color reach their goals in an industry typically dominated by men.
"She reshaped the landscape for meteorology," St. Claire said. "She was very focused and cognizant on raising the profile of STEM as a discipline, as a career choice for women and minorities."
In 2021, Terrazas became the first recipient of the June Bacon-Bercey Scholarship in Atmospheric Sciences for Women. Terrazas, 22, told AccuWeather that she is excited to be able to put some of her research goals into action. Her plans for the scholarship would make Bacon-Bercey proud.
June Bacon-Bercey was the first African American woman meteorologist and the first woman television meteorologist in the U.S. (Photo courtesy of Dail St. Claire)
"I’m planning to work with experts in support of education and research goals relating to water and climate change, especially tribally-supported and native goals of theirs because that’s really important," Terazzas said.
Terazzas knows the namesake of the scholarship left big shoes to fill, but she explained that she feels a connection with the woman who, all those years ago, blazed the trail she and so many other young women are on today.
A headshot showing June Bacon-Bercey, the first woman to become a TV meteorologist in the U.S. (Photo courtesy of Dail St. Claire)
Terazzas said being awarded the scholarship has special meaning “because she was a former UCLA graduate and she’s a woman and under-represented minority and also a pioneer in atmospheric sciences and meteorology. It was very inspiring, her story is really amazing and it was really an honor to be awarded her scholarship under her name," she added.
Also inspiring, Terazzas said, has been “trying to figure out how climate change disproportionately affects communities of color. So doing more outreach with the support of the scholarship, I think that’s what really excited me once I heard back that I was a recipient of it.”
From one woman's incredible STEM legacy to another aspiring scientist beginning her journey on a similar path, Terrazas said she hopes one day her work can evoke the same passion for girls and young women aspiring to careers in science.
Her advice for young girls coming up behind her: “Have lots of questions because those will lead you to a lot of -- not necessarily answers, but a lot of -- growth," she said. "Within a field that’s primarily male-dominated, it can be really daunting to step into the same field, so it’s more about just staying true to yourself and pursuing what you like because it’s really worth it in the end.”
Applications are now open for the second recipient of the June Bacon-Bercey Scholarship in Atmospheric Sciences for Women. The entry deadline is April 15. Click here for more information, to donate or to apply.
For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
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Student is 1st recipient of the June Bacon-Bercey scholarship
A young woman from UCLA is following in the footsteps of the late meteorologist who reshaped the landscape to make room for other young women aspiring to careers in STEM.
By Monica Danielle, AccuWeather Managing Editor
Published Mar 10, 2022 1:39 PM EDT | Updated Mar 11, 2022 7:24 PM EDT
June Bacon-Bercy was America’s first female TV meteorologist. To honor her legacy, AccuWeather and her family reestablished a scholarship in her name.
“I’ve always been a really curious kid and really love science,” Alexa Terrazas told AccuWeather with a smile. As a little girl growing up in Cathedral City, California, she said she knew from a very young age that she was destined for a career in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
She had completed her undergraduate degree in geology and begun working on her master's and doctoral degrees in atmospheric and oceanic sciences at UCLA when she applied for The June Bacon-Bercey Scholarship in Atmospheric Sciences for Women.
In 1955, June Bacon-Bercy was the first Black woman to earn a college degree in meteorology and later became America's first woman television meteorologist. Originally offered to the American Geophysical Union (AGU) community between 1978 and 1990, the scholarship was conceived to support female graduate students of color interested in atmospheric sciences and intersections with meteorology.
After her death in 2019 at the age of 90, the scholarship was re-established in partnership with AGU with the support of donors, AccuWeather and Bacon-Bercey's family. Her daughter, Dail St. Claire, said it was her mother's final wish to continue her legacy of helping women pursue careers in science.
UCLA student Alexa Terrazas is the first recipient of The June Bacon-Bercey Scholarship in Atmospheric Sciences for Women.
"My mother achieved goals she set for herself that were seemingly unachievable and certainly had not been achieved by women and minorities," St. Claire told AccuWeather. She described her mother as a pioneer who wanted to help other women of color reach their goals in an industry typically dominated by men.
"She reshaped the landscape for meteorology," St. Claire said. "She was very focused and cognizant on raising the profile of STEM as a discipline, as a career choice for women and minorities."
In 2021, Terrazas became the first recipient of the June Bacon-Bercey Scholarship in Atmospheric Sciences for Women. Terrazas, 22, told AccuWeather that she is excited to be able to put some of her research goals into action. Her plans for the scholarship would make Bacon-Bercey proud.
June Bacon-Bercey was the first African American woman meteorologist and the first woman television meteorologist in the U.S. (Photo courtesy of Dail St. Claire)
"I’m planning to work with experts in support of education and research goals relating to water and climate change, especially tribally-supported and native goals of theirs because that’s really important," Terazzas said.
Terazzas knows the namesake of the scholarship left big shoes to fill, but she explained that she feels a connection with the woman who, all those years ago, blazed the trail she and so many other young women are on today.
A headshot showing June Bacon-Bercey, the first woman to become a TV meteorologist in the U.S. (Photo courtesy of Dail St. Claire)
Terazzas said being awarded the scholarship has special meaning “because she was a former UCLA graduate and she’s a woman and under-represented minority and also a pioneer in atmospheric sciences and meteorology. It was very inspiring, her story is really amazing and it was really an honor to be awarded her scholarship under her name," she added.
Also inspiring, Terazzas said, has been “trying to figure out how climate change disproportionately affects communities of color. So doing more outreach with the support of the scholarship, I think that’s what really excited me once I heard back that I was a recipient of it.”
From one woman's incredible STEM legacy to another aspiring scientist beginning her journey on a similar path, Terrazas said she hopes one day her work can evoke the same passion for girls and young women aspiring to careers in science.
Her advice for young girls coming up behind her: “Have lots of questions because those will lead you to a lot of -- not necessarily answers, but a lot of -- growth," she said. "Within a field that’s primarily male-dominated, it can be really daunting to step into the same field, so it’s more about just staying true to yourself and pursuing what you like because it’s really worth it in the end.”
Applications are now open for the second recipient of the June Bacon-Bercey Scholarship in Atmospheric Sciences for Women. The entry deadline is April 15. Click here for more information, to donate or to apply.
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For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
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