celeste Bergey

Let’s meet Celeste!

Hi, my name is Celeste! I graduated in 2013 from North Carolina State University with a B.S. Chemical Engineering, and I recently separated from the US Navy where I served for six years as a Nuclear Surface Warfare Officer. I now live in Naples, IT with my fiancee and serve in the Navy Reserves while also working on a Masters in Engineering Management from Old Dominion University. We are trying to take advantage of living abroad and travel frequently within Italy and Europe!

Q: What attracted you to the cause?

I have had a passion for STEM subjects since I was in grade school, but when I got to college I was behind my peers in many of them. I attended a very small, rural elementary and high school, and the resources for things like advanced STEM training and classes were not available. I was able to continue to pursue my passion in college with a bit of extra help and hard work, but I always felt that students should have access to these resources regardless of which grade school they attend. Pink Space Theory’s mission to bring STEAM education to students in all school districts in a fun and engaging manner really resonates with me, and I believe that it is a great way to get more students interested in these subjects! 

Q: Describe the specific volunteer work you do at PST?

For my work with Pink Space Theory, I have created a mobile chemistry program for grades K-8 that provides students with hands on training in atoms, molecules, basic chemical reactions, and phase changes. The training gets students actively involved in the topic and the discussion, and includes a fun experiment at the end! 

Q: What impact do you want to make volunteering at PST?

I want to make chemistry fun for students so they will be interested to learn more and find the subject less intimidating. I also want students to learn that chemistry is all around us and can be used to do so many different things, and that it is more than just one person in a lab coat measuring chemicals!