Autumn Breon Williams
Los Angeles is a sparkling nexus of innovation and impact. St. Vincent Jewelry’s new Gems of LA campaign recognizes brilliant women in our community who are at the forefront of social change. Day-in and day-out, these true LA gems work to enrich the lives of underrepresented communities to help transform our city into a healthier, more vibrant, and equitable place to live. Now that’s glam for good!
Meet our first Gems of LA honoree, Autumn Breon Williams. From the time Autumn was in grade school, she wanted to be a rocket scientist. Despite her teacher’s advice to follow a career path more aligned with her South LA upbringing, Autumn pursued her studies at Stanford and went on to research aeronautical astrobiology applications for NASA.
The only woman of color in her cohort, Autumn was committed to addressing the causes of underrepresentation in her field. Learning how many students lose interest in mathematics and science in middle school, she founded STEMgineers Shifting Gears, a STEM-focused after school, tutoring, and summer program in Watts, CA. Her passion for enriching children’s lives soon led her to reimagine a global narrative of Africa, through the lenses of education and art. Autumn now serves as Executive Director for the African School for Excellence Foundation in South Africa.
Click here to learn more about Autumn’s local and global efforts for change.
Autumn shares how her childhood dream of becoming a rocket scientist led her to not only accomplish her goals, but paved the way for other young people of color to succeed with a meaningful STEM education.
Learn how Autumn’s passion for enriching children’s lives led her to reimagine a global narrative of Africa, through the lenses of education and art.
While working and traveling in Africa, Autumn fell in love with the continent’s thriving contemporary art movement. In this video, she explains her efforts to share the work with the broader global community.
