First published in the March 24 print issue of the Pasadena Outlook.
STEAM:Coders founder Raymond Ealy was recognized by Assemblymember Chris Holden and the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) as a 41st Assembly District Unsung Hero for his positive impact in the community.
“An ‘Unsung Hero’ is defined as a person who makes a substantive yet unrecognized contribution — a person whose bravery is unknown or unacknowledged,” according to a press release from Holden’s office. The California Legislative Black Caucus established the Black History Month Unsung Hero Award to recognize individuals who have contributed selflessly to their respective districts.
“Ray is an example of leadership by putting the work in today, for generations to come,” Holden said. “Through his dedication to empowering youth, he has worked with over 50,000 students — giving them toolkits for success and self-confidence to enter and excel in their careers. I commend him and STEAM:Coders.”
Ealy is the executive director and founder of STEAM:Coders, a nonprofit that inspires underserved and underrepresented students and their families through science, technology, engineering, art and math, in preparation for academic and career opportunities. He has more than 28 years of management experience in the nonprofit, financial services and retail sectors with Bank of America, Countrywide Financial Services, Security Pacific Bank and Wells Fargo Bank.
“At STEAM:Coders, our goal is to provide underserved and underrepresented K-12 students with the resources that they need to be competitive,” Ealy said. “We tell students that their competition is not the student next to them in class, but students from across the country and around the world. This is why we want to equip them with the essential tools for future academic and career success — logic, critical thinking and problem-solving.”
