Meet The Graduate

Read what Jenna Mehls has to say

I graduated from the University of Maryland in May of 2023 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences with a specialization in General Biology and a minor in Spanish. My degree, along with my passion for healthcare and service, have prepared me to pursue graduate school with the goal of becoming a perfusionist.  

As a woman in STEM, I was attracted to Nvolve for its diverse community of female leaders and the opportunity for professional development. During my time in Nvolve, I participated in countless huddles, attended many workshops and group discussions, completed four technical projects, and found a family that will support me for my STEM future!  

The weekly huddles gave me a chance to connect with other women my age and learn about important skills such as negotiation, influencing others, and leveraging my strengths when working in teams.  

The technical projects included a HER-2 Biomarker Project, MoodZen Mental Health App Creation, All about Alzheimer’s Podcast, and A Maryland Resident’s Life Expectancy Data Visualization. All these projects helped me improve my communication, team building, and problem-solving skills. My favorite project was the All about Alzheimer’s Podcast because it focused on a topic that I was very curious about but knew little about. It also provided the opportunity to connect with newer members of the Nvolve cohort, which was a lot of fun!  

My mentor, Jeneé Schrule, and I grew very close over the past two years, and I will consider her a mentor for a lifetime! Jeneé offered me academic and career advice throughout my undergraduate career and helped me to prepare my application and interviews for graduate school.  

As I leave Nvolve to pursue my graduate degree, I encourage my fellow scholars to remember that “we learn from failure, not from success.” 

Meet the Mentor: Jenee Schrule

I’m Jeneé Schrule, Principal Customer Success Manager at Deltek. I committed myself to becoming a part of the Nvolve family in 2021 when I first heard about the organization. Nvolve’s mission aligns with my belief that our journey is defined by learning, making better choices, and helping when we can. I wholeheartedly support the ethos of "paying it forward."

My Senior VP at Deltek believed that I would be a good fit for Nvolve and encouraged me to participate as a mentor. I was fully aware that my pairing with a mentee was not guaranteed, an outcome that would have been profoundly disappointing.

I took the Nvolve Assessment, an exercise that facilitated sharing insights into my Mind, Energy, Nature, Tactics, and Identity -- a reflective process indeed. Would a young woman think I was cool enough to help her with her journey in the STEM world?

Well, it happened! I was paired with Jenna Mehls —all 5 feet 9 inches of her. I am the one who is always looking up.

I want to thank Jenna for allowing me to be part of her STEM journey. I’m very proud of Jenna and have enjoyed seeing her grow and succeed, especially when she left her comfort zone (which was one of my favorite things to witness).

I appreciate that Jenna placed her faith in me and embraced the possibilities of our collaboration. I am thoroughly convinced that we have been an exceptional team. It has been a privilege to know Jenna and her family.

I am looking forward to many more years with Jenna, even as she says goodbye to Maryland and hello to South Carolina.