This summer, Mark Dematto of Summit Hill, joined outstanding elementary and intermediate school students from across the state to take part in a unique academic and career oriented development experience, the National Youth Leadership Forum: Pathways to STEM, which took place in Philadelphia at Villanova University this past June.

NYLF Pathways to STEM is one of the Envision by WorldStrides family of programs that enable students to explore their interests and experience learning beyond the classroom.

Dematto is the son of Mark and Trish Dematto of Summit Hill.

He was selected by his fourth grade teachers Mrs. Walker and Mrs. Romanchik from Panther Valley Intermediate School to represent Panther Valley based on his leadership and academic merit.

He is a distinguished honor roll student and a member of school chorus and most recently represented the school in the county Envirothon.

His interest in the future is to pursue a career in science related to engineering or medical school. The Envision forum has given him a great opportunity of hands on medical and engineering experience while attending the program.

“As an alumni of Envision myself, I was excited for Mark Dematto to meet, work, and collaborate with fellow high-aspiring students from other cities and schools,” said Amanda Freitag Thomas, SVP for Envision. “Hands down, my favorite part of attending an Envision program was being with motivated students in an environment designed to help us challenge our assumptions, meet new people, and grow. Creating that same learning environment is a central focus for all of our programs.

“At NYLF Pathways to STEM, students build the confidence and skills needed to excel in the classroom while gaining exposure to STEM fields and concepts. They learn how to adapt to and communicate in new situations, to new challenges, and with new people, which, given how rapidly the world is changing due to technology and innovation, are essential skills for success.”

For over 35 years, Envision by WorldStrides has empowered extraordinary students to become their best selves through programs that enable them to discover their passion, explore a career, and positively impact their world.

In 2018, Envision became part of the WorldStrides family.

The largest provider of educational travel and experiences in the United States, WorldStrides works with over 50,000 educators each year to help more than 550,000 students see the world - and themselves - in new ways.