Military and intelligence personnel have decided to halt recruitment efforts at the upcoming Becoming Everything You Are Conference (BEYA), a prestigious engineering event that attracts diverse high school and college STEM students from across the country. This decision comes in response to President Donald Trump's executive order ending diversity initiatives in the military.
BEYA, previously known as the Black Engineer of the Year Award Conference, has been a significant recruitment ground for highly qualified applicants for the military. However, in compliance with Department of Defense and Headquarters Department of the Army guidance, military recruiters will not be participating in the upcoming BEYA event.
Last year, BEYA played a crucial role in helping the Defense Department recruit close to 800 individuals. However, this year's conference, scheduled for February 13-15 in Baltimore, will see a significant absence of military and defense contractors, including the Navy, Air Force, National Guard, Space Force, SpaceX, Booz Allen Hamilton, and the Naval Nuclear Laboratory.
Additionally, intelligence agencies such as the CIA and NSA, as well as organizations like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA), NASA, and the Department of Energy, have also withdrawn from the conference. This decision follows Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's instruction to end all diversity and inclusion efforts within the military.
Conference founder Tyrone Taborn estimated that the government had previously spent $1.5 million on sponsorships for the event. Despite the cancellations, service members are allowed to attend the conference in an unofficial or personal capacity.
With close to 14,000 attendees expected at this year's BEYA conference, the absence of military and intelligence recruiters is likely to have a significant impact on the recruitment efforts and opportunities for aspiring STEM students.
