2025 DeRocco Fellows Announced; Eight Undergraduates Selected for Advanced Manufacturing Fellowship for Women

The DeRocco Fellows inspires the next generation of women leaders in manufacturing through professional development, mentorship, and hands-on experience.

GRANITE BAY, CA, UNITED STATES, June 4, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Eight undergraduate students have been named the 2025 DeRocco Fellows, joining the inaugural cohort of a prestigious advanced manufacturing fellowship designed to empower future women leaders through mentorship, professional development, and hands-on experience.

Created to honor the legacy of Emily Stover DeRocco, a tireless advocate for women in manufacturing, the DeRocco Fellows offers a transformative experience for undergraduate women aiming to build careers in the manufacturing industry. The Fellows gain valuable summer work experience, benefit from dedicated mentorship and engage in professional development programs all while forming a network of supportive, like-minded peers.

The 2025 DeRocco Fellows are:
• Laila Abbas, of Strongsville, Ohio, majoring in micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) at Lorain County Community College, Class of 2027
• Neve Apte, of San Jose, California, majoring in computer engineering at San Jose State University, Class of 2025
• Julia Flynn, of Maryville, Tennessee, majoring in biomedical engineering at Boston University, Class of 2026
• Brinley Jordan, of Beverly Hills, Florida, majoring in mechanical engineering with a minor in environmental science and policy at the University of South Florida, Class of 2026
• Genevieve Powell, of Downers Grove, Illinois, completed her bachelor’s in integrated engineering and social sciences at Lehigh University in 2025 and will receive her master’s in mechanical engineering at Lehigh, Class of 2026
• Sadie Roecker, of Pearland, Texas, majoring in operations research and information engineering at Cornell University, Class of 2025
• Cora White, of Brownsburg, Indiana, majoring in industrial engineering at Purdue University, Class of 2026
• Mahnoor Zubair, of Sacramento, California, majoring in aerospace engineering at California Polytechnic State University, Class of 2026

2025 employer partners include Duke Energy, Endeavor Composites, Endress + Hauser, NextFlex, White Horse Laboratories, and Vitriform 3D. Program Sponsors include Anthology Communications, LIFT, NextFlex, and Stoll Keenon Ogden.

“Emily Stover DeRocco was a connector who believed in ‘linking and leveraging’ people and resources for the greater good,” said Eileen Pickett, co-founder of the DeRocco Fellows. “Whether in her role as Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Labor, the President of the Manufacturing Institute, or in any of her many leadership roles on corporate and academic boards, Emily believed in the power of work and the right for every individual to have the opportunity to ‘work hard at work worth doing.’”

The DeRocco Fellows honors Emily’s legacy in education and workforce development, creating a pathway to leadership for young women in advanced manufacturing - the industry she championed during the last decade of her career.

Despite women comprising half of the total workforce, they represent less than one-third of the manufacturing workforce, presenting untapped potential for both women and manufacturers. The DeRocco Fellows program seeks to close this gap by offering hands-on experience, mentorship, and professional development.

Key program components include:
• Mentoring: Fellows are paired with executive mentors outside of their employer career guidance and connections.
• Professional development: Fellows participate in virtual sessions and a summer workshop focused on topics such as financial literacy, salary negotiation, and career planning.
• Community: The program aims to build a lasting network of Fellows and mentors that fosters ongoing support as they advance in their manufacturing careers.

“The DeRocco Fellows program works to boost the number of women in manufacturing leadership roles by supercharging their summer internships,” added Lauren DeRocco Gopi, DeRocco Fellows board member. “I am deeply honored to join my mother’s friends and colleagues in celebrating her life-long commitment to supporting women and enhancing U.S. manufacturing. My mom would be very proud.”

To download photos of the 2025 DeRocco Fellows, click here.

About the DeRocco Fellows
The DeRocco Fellows is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that offers undergraduate women interested in manufacturing careers the opportunity for a summer work experience enhanced by professional development programming, mentorship, and the development of a community of like-minded peers. Its mission is to inspire and empower the next generation of women leaders in manufacturing. Applications for the DeRocco Fellows program open in the fall. There is no cost to the intern or the employer to participate. For more information, visit www.deroccofellows.org.

Denise Kennedy
DeRocco Fellows
+1 703-628-5177
dkennedy@anthologycommunications.com

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