By Jatavian Walker
(JACKSON, Miss.) – Jackson State University (JSU) senior Cedrick Owens Jr. launched Thee JS-Ques STEM Initiative to bring coding workshops to elementary and middle school students across Mississippi. The soon-to-be fall 2025 graduate said this is one of his greatest accomplishments as an undergraduate.
“This program is one of my favorite things to do to connect with the local youth to inform them about the STEM field while engaging them interactively,” said Owens. “It’s really fun to be able to interact with students and get them interested in something educational.”
The workshop was initiated under the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.. Owens, a member since spring 2024, said the goal of the workshop is to engage children in STEM at a young age by making it fun and interactive. His inspiration for the program came from an Omega Psi Phi statewide STEM committee meeting.
Owens participated in a STEM event at Hattiesburg Middle School, where he was assigned to a station and created interactive computer games that teach children about coding.
“At first, the students were a bit nervous seeing coding and how it works, but once I was able to create these games, they loved it. Through this, I was able to tie it back to STEM and show them how simple coding can be,” said Owens. “One of my Omega Psi Phi chapter advisors suggested trying the same with students in Jackson, Mississippi. I was excited to get them involved in something educational.”
Following the advice of his fraternal mentor, Owens introduced the educational and interactive games he developed to students at Isabel Elementary School and Johnson Elementary School.
Born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, he developed an interest in engineering and coding during his freshman year of college. His father and grandfather, both engineers, inspired him to follow in their footsteps.
One reason Owens chose Jackson State was its accredited College of Science, Engineering and Technology. He said he is glad to have the opportunity to give back to the community and hopes to inspire students to become interested in STEM at a young age.
“I want future STEM students to know that it may be a bit intimidating at first, but remember to always be curious. Never fear curiosity and do your own research,” Owens advised. “The industry needs diverse minds to be creative and to solve problems, so take your time to learn.”
Owens gained professional guidance from JSU staff who helped him shape who he is today. As a freshman, he was involved in Thee Aristocrats program under program director Noel Garner, Ph.D. According to Owens, Gardner helped connect him with engineering opportunities such as attending the Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) STEM Conference.
He was also in Honors College, where he met Pamala Heard, Ph.D., director of Honor Student Services and Activities. She played a role in connecting him with other opportunities.
“Throughout my four years at JSU, Dr. Heard has always been helpful and made sure to send me opportunities every chance she got,” said Owens.”
After graduation, Owens plans to move to Rolling Meadows, Illinois to begin his career at Northrop Grumman as a full-time engineer. He also plans to earn a graduate degree while working to further his academic credentials. Owens said he hopes the program will inspire future Tigers to pursue STEM.
Media Contact: Jatavian Walker, Jatavian.Walker@jsums.edu