About Us

Shell's Gems for STEM Foundation was founded by Shellann Worthen in November 2025. While pursuing her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology she served in several leadership roles, including resident assistant (RA), a mentor for students of color (Mosaic Mentor), and a school ambassador (Valley Ambassador). These experiences gave her the opportunity to work closely with students throughout their college journey, particularly first-year students as they transitioned into higher education.

One of the most difficult and concerning patterns she witnessed was the number of talented students who were forced to leave college because of financial hardships. Many students entered college with scholarships that only covered their first semester or first year, while others heavily relied on their families to pay the remaining costs. As tuition, housing, books, and other educational expenses continued to accumulate, many families simply could not afford to keep their students enrolled. She watched as classmates with tremendous potential left school - not because of a lack of ability or determination, but because they lacked the financial resources to continue. 

Her own college journey reinforced just how significant financial support can be. Her mother, LaSheba Worthen - treasurer of Shell's Gems for STEM Foundation - made countless sacrifices to ensure she could complete her education, taking out parent plus loans and enrolling in tuition payment plans while still taking care of her younger children. During her junior year spring semester, she was fortunate enough to receive a scholarship from Amiracle4sure that greatly eased the financial burden that was on her mother and helped her finish her final year of college. That experience showed her how life-changing continued financial assistance can be. Unfortunately, many students are not as fortunate. Without sustained financial support, they are often forced to put their education on hold or leave college altogether despite having the drive and determination to succeed. 

These experiences inspired her to establish Shell's Gems for STEM Foundation. Our mission is to reduce the financial barriers that prevent students from completing their education by providing renewable scholarship support throughout all eight semesters of a traditional undergraduate degree. By offering continued financial assistance, rather than one-time awards, we aim to increase college retention, improve on-time graduation rates, and empower more students to pursue and successfully complete degrees in STEM fields. 
We believe a student's future should be determined by their ambition and potential - not by their financial circumstances. Through renewable scholarships and future student support initiatives, Shell's Gems for STEM Foundation is committed to helping students persist, graduate and thrive in STEM.