Robbie Regan McCall, “Regan” was born in Detroit, MI to a family that encouraged her wildest ambitions. Growing up, boundless curiosity is the thing that separated Regan amongst her peers. From summer camps at the zoo as a toddler to peppering teachers with questions as an adolescent, learning has been a driving factor in her life. Regan has always believed, the more she learned about the world, the better equipped she would be to handle future challenges. As a mere toddler, she discovered the best way to learn about anything and everything was STEM.

Regan began her STEM education in kindergarten through the Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program (DAPCEP). This was an opportunity to explore math and science every Saturday with her father. DAPCEP holds some of her fondest memories as she and her dad would attend class together and later spend the afternoons with activities of her choice, such as trips to the movies, museum, and zoo. Those Saturdays, with her father and STEM continued through 8th grade, and Regan’s curiosity never waned. Saturdays, filled with STEM shifted to summers of learning as she spent three summers at Northwestern University – Center for Talent Development (CTD) exploring advanced mathematics and science. The summer after her junior year, Regan was selected as one of one hundred students to attend Carnegie Mellon’s Summer Academy for Math and Science (SAMS) where she engaged in advanced math and coding courses. SAMS enforced Regan’s love for STEM and pushed her intellectual curiosity farther than it had ever gone before.

Although her love for STEM will never cease, Regan’s passion extends to learning and experiencing other cultures. French language was her catalyst for cultural immersion, whether it was spending time in Quebec or dedicating the summer to School Year Abroad in Rennes France which were integral in her path of becoming bilingual.   Her cultural immersion was deepened with her attendance at the inaugural Yale Young Global Scholars Program – Beijing, and a trip to explore Russia. Each place visited, she learned a bit more about the world around her and discovered a new appreciation for the society in which she lives.

All, Regan’s opportunities and experiences have been received through the help of others, beginning with her parents and continuing to the A Better Chance (ABC) Program. Because of the help received in achieving her goals, Regan has made it a personal mission to give back as much as she has received over the years. Regan has been involved with the founding of several organizations on her high school campus addressing a myriad of concerns including affinity groups and social justice issues. Most importantly as an ABC scholar, Regan created the role of Scholar Ambassador on her campus. ABC adopted the Scholar Ambassador model and implemented it nationally. As a Girl Scout Gold Award Candidate, Regan developed the project “A Place to Call Home” – dedicated to bridging the housing gap for homeless veterans through local partnerships and technology. Regan hopes to continue her passions in college and work to make the world filled with more opportunities for all.

Regan is currently at Princeton pursuing a degree in Operations Research and Financial Engineering with minors in Computer Science and Theatre. She hopes to be able to take what she learns in school to bring new insight to both the engineering and theatre worlds.